188 


IC 


UNIVERSITY  OF 

ILL!'     IS  ;  !BRARY 

AT  U  -  .AMPAIGN 

ILL  HIST.  SURVEY 


WAIFS  OF  THE  SLUMS 


Waifs  of  the  Slums 

and 

Their  Way  Out 


By 
LEONARD  BENEDICT 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK  CHICAGO  TORONTO 

Fleming  H.  Revell   Company 

LONDON          AND          EDINBURGH 


Copyright,  1907, 

By 
J.  F.  ATKINSON 


To  Waifdom  Everywhere 


A  Brief  Foreword 

By  RT.  REV.  SAMUEL  FALLOWS,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 

THIS  is  a  remarkable  book,  full  of  power  and 
pathos,  worthy  of  a  place  beside  the  best  works  of 
its  kind. 

The  ever  pressing  problem  of  the  neglected  boy 
and  girl,  with  its  possible  solution,  is  presented  in  a 
graphic  manner  and  compels  an  enchained  attention. 

The  Boys'  Club  is  a  discovery.  Now  that  it  is 
found,  means  will  certainly  be  forthcoming  for  its 
rapid  and  beneficent  development  under  the  faithful, 
unselfish  efforts  of  Mr.  J.  F.  Atkinson  and  his  de- 
voted co-labourers. 


Introduction 

BY  REV.  A.  C.  DIXON,  D.D. 

THE  boys  of  our  streets  are  to  be  the  voters  of  the 
future,  and  patriotism  demands  that  we  look  after 
them.  But  a  higher  demand  than  patriotism  presses 
upon  the  Christian,  whose  mission  is  to  lead  them  to 
Christ  and  a  life  of  righteousness. 

Every  boy  has  a  social  nature,  and  he  likes  the 
company  of  other  boys.  The  club  idea  appeals  to 
him ;  and  if  good  people  do  not  furnish  him  a  meet- 
ing place,  he  will  seek  the  places  furnished  by  the 
bad. 

The  statement  has  been  made  that  Chicago  has 
four  thousand  boy  drunkards.  Whether  this  is  true 
or  not,  it  is  evident  that  the  theatre  and  saloon  are 
leading  thousands  of  these  boys  to  ruin,  and  Chris- 
tian people  ought  to  do  all  that  they  can  to  rescue 
them. 

Some  are  without  homes — waifs  of  the  street, 
picking  up  a  precarious  living  as  best  they  can; 
others  with  drunken  or  criminal  parents  are  in  places 
they  call  homes,  which  are  really  gates  of  hell. 
They  go  in  gangs ;  some  of  them  glory  in  crime, 
not  careful  to  escape  the  police,  for  they  covet  the 
honour  of  figuring  in  the  court  as  criminals  with  a 
prospect  of  seeing  their  pictures  in  the  daily  papers. 

li 


1 2  Introduction 

These  boys  are  worth  saving.  Many  of  them  are 
very  bright.  Their  wits  have  been  sharpened  by  the 
struggle  for  existence.  They  will  share  their  last 
nickel  with  a  comrade  in  distress.  Not  a  few  are 
eager  for  a  better  chance  and  will  appreciate  every 
effort  that  is  made  for  their  benefit.  The  better  class 
of  them  have  poor  parents,  sometimes  invalid,  for 
whose  support  they  sell  papers,  black  shoes  and  run 
errands.  One  of  them  was  run  over  by  a  dray  in 
New  York  and  carried  to  a  hospital  to  die.  Among 
his  last  words  were  directions  for  finding  the  few 
pennies  in  his  pockets,  with  instructions  to  give  them 
to  his  mother,  while  he  expressed  sorrow  that  he  had 
earned  so  little  that  day. 

The  "  Chicago  Boys'  Club  "  champions  the  cause 
of  the  boys  of  the  street  and  seeks  to  give  every  one 
of  them  a  chance  to  make  a  man  of  himself.  Mr. 
J.  F.  Atkinson,  the  superintendent  of  this  work,  is  a 
Christian  man  who  cares  for  the  souls  of  the  boys 
as  well  as  their  bodies.  He  is  glad  to  teach  them 
how  to  make  a  living,  but  he  is  more  anxious  that 
they  shall  make  a  life ;  and,  above  all,  he  seeks  to 
win  them  to  Him  who  at  twelve  years  of  age  was 
"  about  His  Father's  business."  He  is  satisfied  with 
nothing  less  than  the  salvation  of  the  whole  boy. 

This  work  among  the  boys  each  day  in  the  week 
is  very  much  needed,  for  the  Sunday-school  touches 
them  only  an  hour  every  Sunday,  and  thousands  of 
them  go  to  no  Sunday-school.  It  is  difficult  for  the 
church  to  reach  them  with  its  regular  services. 

I  hope  that  this  book,  so  full  of  interesting  facts 


Introduction  13 

and  earnest  appeals,  will  bring  about  a  great  revival 
of  interest  in  the  street  boys  of  our  great  cities  and 
lead  to  more  strenuous  efforts  for  their  salvation. 

Chicago,  111., 
April  jo,  1907. 


March  it  7907. 
MR.  LEONARD  BENEDICT, 

Dear  Sir  : 

I  have  been  asked  repeatedly  why  I  do  not  prepare  the 
manuscript  for  a  book  to  be  published  under  some  such  title  as : 
"  Waifs  of  the  Slums  and  Their  Way  Out."  I  have  but  one  answer 
to  the  question,  but  it  is  a  good  one.  I  am  not  a  writer. 

Recently  a  publisher  said  to  me  :  "  If  you  do  not  publish  a  book 
on  this  subject,  I  think  I  will."  That  remark  stirred  me  to  action. 

I  feel  of  all  men  you  are  the  best  qualified  to  prepare  the  manu- 
script for  such  a  book.  Will  you  do  this  ?  If  you  will,  then  I  will 
do  the  rest,  with  the  understanding  that  all  the  proceeds  derived 
from  the  sale  of  the  volume  are  to  be  dedicated  to  the  work  of  the 
Chicago  Boys'  Club. 

Awaiting  an  early  reply,  I  am, 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

Die.  A.  J.  F.  ATKINSON,  Suft. 


March  j,  1907. 
MR.  J.  F.  ATKINSON, 

262  State  St., 

Chicago. 
Dear  Sir: 

Your  favour  of  March  I  duly  received.  Had  you  asked  me 
to  write  a  book  for  selfish  profit  or  for  personal  honour,  I  should  have 
refused ;  but  when  you  ask  me  to  write  because  there  is  a  need  of 
writing  and  for  the  good  of  the  great  cause  of  waifdom,  I  dare  not 
lightly  treat  the  request.  If  I  am  at  all  qualified  for  the  task,  it  is 
because  of  my  deep  interest  in  the  subject  and  my  great  desire  to  be 
of  some  help  to  the  cause. 

Seeing  I  have  not  much  else  to  give,  I  will  gladly  contribute  my  spare 
time  and  any  talent  I  may  have,  to  this  task.  If  by  so  doing,  some 
one  is  led  to  a  clearer  insight  into  the  lives  of  the  children  of  our 
cities,  and  into  a  more  helpful  sympathy  for  their  condition,  I  will 
feel  amply  repaid  for  whatever  labour  and  time  I  may  expend  upon 
the  manuscript. 

Faithfully  yours, 

LEONARD  BENEDICT. 

14 


Preface 

MY  reason  for  writing  this  book  has  been  to  create 
a  little  more  sympathy  for  the  erring  and  the  unfor- 
tunate. I  have  undertaken  to  show  by  many  living 
examples  that  the  wicked  and  the  criminal,  as  a  rule, 
are  not  what  they  are  from  deliberate  choice,  any 
more  than  you  and  I — the  most  of  us  in  fact — are 
what  we  are  politically  or  religiously  entirely  from 
choice.  Have  not  our  early  surroundings  and  edu- 
cation made  us,  largely,  what  we  are  ? 

In  preparing  this  book,  I  have  been  greatly  assisted 
by  Mr.  J.  F.  Atkinson,  the  superintendent  of  the 
Chicago  Boys'  Club,  by  Mr.  E.  R.  Colby,  its  indus- 
trial director,  by  Miss  Katherine  Taylor,  one  of  its 
Friendly  Visitors,  and  by  several  others  who  have 
admitted  me  into  the  storehouses  of  their  knowledge 
and  experience,  and  there  allowed  me  to  help  myself 
to  the  information  I  desired.  I  am  also  indebted  for 
suggestion  and  inspiration  to  certain  authors,  espe- 
cially to  Jacob  Riis,  Ernest  Poole,  Owen  Kildare, 
Josiah  Strong  and  Miss  Isabell  Horton,  from  all  of 
whose  writings  I  have  more  or  less  quoted  in  these 
pages. 

I  have  also  quoted  freely,  and  that  without  so  indi- 
cating, from  the  official  organ  of  the  Chicago  Boys' 
Club :  "  Darkest  Chicago  and  Her  Waifs." 

It  has  been  my  attempt  to  make  this  discussion  as 
15 


16  Preface 

practical  as  possible;  not  to  state  theories  and  to 
propound  remedies  for  supposed  evils,  but  rather  to 
say  what,  through  observation  and  through  question- 
ing others,  I  actually  know  to  be  true,  and  to  relate 
what  is  actually  being  done  to  meet  these  real  and 
definite  needs. 

So  let  it  be  understood  that  this  book  is  not  sent 
forth  merely  to  entertain  or  even  to  instruct ;  it  is  not 
a  scientific  treatise  or  a  system  of  methods  on  boys' 
work,  but  rather  a  plea  for  a  broader  sympathy  and 
a  more  practical  helpfulness  towards  the  unfortunate 
classes,  especially  the  children.  In  the  interests  of 
waifdom,  this  book  is  sent  out  on  its  mission.  If  it 
arouse  some  to  a  personal,  human  interest,  and  an 
active,  self-sacrificing  helpfulness  towards  the  needy 
ones  anywhere,  it  will  not  have  failed  of  its  purpose. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


Contents 

I.  A  UNIQUE  WORK         .....       21 

II.  A  GREAT  MISSIONARY  OPPORTUNITY       .          .       35 

III.  OTHER  NEEDY  FIELDS  .....       47 

IV.  THE  PLAN  OF  ATTACK  .....       64 

V.  RELIGIOUS  WORK  WITH  STREET  WAIFS     .         .       83 

VI.  THE  NEWSBOY  AND  His  REAL  LIFE          .         .       99 

VII.  BIDDING  FOR  THE  BOY  .         .         .         .         .116 

VIII.  THE  GIRLS  AND  THEIR  NEEDS         .         .         .127 

IX.  WOMEN  VISITORS  IN  THE  HOMES     .         .  139 

X.  THE  CURE  OF  THE  TRAMP     .         .         .         .154 

XI.  AN  URGENT  NEED        .         .         .         «         .171 

XII.  THE  SECRET  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  WORK    .         .186 

XIII.  CONCLUSION         .          .          .  .          .      200 
APPENDIX             ......     207 


List  of  Illustrations 

FACING  PAGE 

Some  Waifs  of  the  Slums.         .         .         .         .         .  Title 

Headquarters  of  Chicago  Boys'  Club — Leased  .  .  25 
Waifs  at  Work  in  Carpenter  Shop  .  .  .  .  29 

A  Typical  Scene  in  the  Alley    .....       40 
(Courtesy  of  McCluris  Magazine) 

Ward  Map  of  Chicago  Showing  Locations  of  Foreigners       47 

Table  Showing  Population  of  Chicago  by  Wards,  also 

Number  of  Saloons  and  Churches        .         .         -53 

A  Group  of  Boot-Blacks  Absorbed  in  a  Crap  Game      .       7 1 
Sleep-Outs      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .71 

Scene  in  "de  Alley  "  at  One  O'clock  in  the  Morning     105 

One  of  the  Many  Traps  to  Catch  the  Boys.  Located 
Near  the  Central  Building  of  the  Chicago  Boy's 
Club  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .no 

Street  Waifs  Gathered  in  a  Gospel  Meeting  .  .122 
One  of  a  Legion  of  Five-cent  Theatres  .  .  .122 
Wash  Day  in  a  Slum  Tenement  .  .  •%  1 29 

An  Italian  Home  Showing  a  Child  with  Bound  Limbs  .  1 50 
Waifs  Gathering  Food  from  a  Garbage  Can  .  .  164 

Chart  Showing  the  Value  of  Trade  School  Training     .     1 8 1 
(Courtesy  of  Double  day,  Page  &  C0.) 

Branch  Club — No.  1 1  .  .  .  .  .  ^194 
The  Finished  Product  ,  .  »  .  .  204 


Waifs  of  the  Slums 


"  Boys'  Clubs  are  the  best  sub- 
stitutes for  policemen's  clubs." 
—JacobRiis. 


A  UNIQUE  WORK 

"  BE  sure  you  are  right,"  says  the  proverb,  "  and 
then  go  ahead."  This  sounds  easy  enough,  but  going 
ahead  to  the  man  who  knows  he  is  right  is  usually  f 
in  practical  life,  like  a  steam-engine  going  ahead 
against  a  snowdrift. 

The  engine  knows  that  the  track  ahead  was  made 
for  it  to  travel  upon  and  there  to  bear  its  load,  but 
the  snowdrift  thinks  differently.  The  engine  has  to 
demonstrate  its  right  by  plowing  through  the  snow- 
bank, pushing  away  the  obstruction,  and  then  quietly 
doing  the  work  that  needs  to  be  done. 

The  engine  succeeds  in  getting  through  because  it 
has  a  mission  to  perform ;  the  snow  melts  away  be- 
cause it  is  opposing  that  mission. 

It  was  a  wise  man  who  said  :  "  If  this  counsel  or 
this  work  be  of  men,  it  will  come  to  naught ;  but  if  it 
be  of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it." 

The  peculiar  thing  about  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club 
is  that  it  is  founded  on  prayer ;  it  is  run  by  people 


22  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

who  believe  with  the  psalmist  of  old,  that  "  It  is  bet- 
ter to  trust  in  the  Lord  than  to  put  confidence  in 
princes." 

When  the  question  of  starting  a  boys'  club  in  the 
down-town  district  of  Chicago  was  first  agitated,  Mr. 
Atkinson,  the  promoter  of  the  cause,  was  advised  by 
parties  on  all  sides  to  get  in  touch  with  such-and-such 
people  of  prominence,  to  pull  the  political  wires  as 
others  were  doing,  or  his  cause  would  surely  fail. 
Others  objected  that  there  was  no  need  for  such  an 
institution,  that  the  field  was  already  amply  provided 
for,  and  another  institution  would  be  an  excres- 
cence. 

Here  was  the  engine's  snow-bank.  But  the  wise 
engineer  saw  by  faith  the  track  running  on  before 
him  underneath  the  snow.  So  he  forged  ahead — he 
began  to  plow  through — not  from  obstinacy  or  be- 
cause he  was  unwilling  to  listen  to  counsel,  but  be- 
cause he  knew  in  his  soul  that  there  his  path  of  duty 
lay.  He  felt  like  Paul,  that  he  was  called  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  and  "  woe  be  unto  him  if 
he  preach  not  the  gospel." 

He  knew  that  in  this  respect  he  was  not  usurping 
the  rights  or  infringing  upon  the  already  occupied 
field  of  others.  He  knew,  as  Paul  knew — and  it 
grew  upon  him — that  he  was  called  of  God  to  a 
unique  work,  and  during  the  years  that  have  followed, 
this  call*and  the  assurance  of  it  by  signs  and  won- 
ders, has  been  ever  ringing  in  his  ears. 

With  all  this,  the  question  comes  :  What  was  this 
call  and  in  what  respect  was  this  work  unique  ? 


A  Unique  Work  23 

The  call  was,  like  Paul's,  to  preach  the  gospel 
where  it  had  not  been  preached,  and  to  reach  those 
who  had  not  been  reached,  or,  in  fact,  had  not  been 
deemed  worthy  of  reaching. 

It  happened  that  Mr.  Atkinson,  the  founder  of  the 
"  Club,"  had  been  connected  for  ten  years  or  more 
with  institutions  for  the  saving  of  orphan  and  home- 
less children.  For  these  everybody  recognized  the 
need,  and  for  these  he  recognized  that  provision  was 
being  made;  but  another  class,  and  a  larger  one, 
came  before  his  notice,  and  their  needs  gradually 
stamped  themselves  upon  his  heart.  This  was  the 
class  of  children  who,  having  a  home,  are  homeless ; 
who,  having  friends,  are  friendless ;  who,  though  sup- 
posed to  be  provided  for,  are  most  neglected. 

When  these  needs  had  become  deeply  stamped 
upon  his  heart,  and  after  the  conditions  had  been  thor- 
oughly studied  and  methods  outlined,  Mr.  Atkinson 
in  November,  1901,  called  together  a  body  of  settle- 
ment, charity,  and  religious  workers  to  discuss  the 
conditions  and  establish  a  plan.  The  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Woman's  Temple. 

In  this  meeting,  Mr.  Atkinson  stood  up,  and  in  an 
impassioned  voice  said :  "  The  street  boy  is  here, 
and  it  is  for  us  to  say  what  we  will  do  with  him. 
If  we  do  not  lift  him  up,  he  will  pull  us  down. 
Reformatories  do  not  reform  him,  doors  are  not 
open  to  him,  neither  church  nor  Sabbath-school  is 
reaching  him,  and  we  cannot  afford  to  kill  him, 
so  it  remains  for  us  to  say  what  we  will  do  with 
him." 


24  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Then  he  brought  forward  his  statistics.  There  are 
at  least  6,000  newsboys  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  of 
whom  one-fourth  are  found  in  the  Central  (the  Levee) 
District.  Of  these  fifty  per  cent,  are  Italians,  thirty 
per  cent.  Jews  and  much  less  than  ten  per  cent. 
Americans.  The  cities  of  New  York,  Philadelphia, 
and  Boston,  he  said,  are  providing  for  this  class  of 
boys ;  the  city  of  London  has  fifty  boys'  clubs,  but 
Chicago  has  none. 

The  estimated  cost  of  starting  and  conducting  a 
street  boys'  club  in  the  central  district  for  one  year, 
he  said,  would  be  $4,000.  Of  this,  one  man  had 
promised  to  give  $1,000  if  the  other  three  thousand 
were  forthcoming. 

So  in  spite  of  opposition  and  criticism  and  con- 
trary advice,  the  work  was  started.  At  first,  a  small 
office  was  rented  at  No.  218  La  Salle  Street,  and  there 
the  work  of  planning,  organizing,  advertising  and  solic- 
iting was  begun.  Early  in  February,  1902,  the  plans 
were  far  enough  along  so  that  a  small  upper  room 
was  rented  on  State  Street,  in  an  old  building  which 
had  once  been  used  as  a  Chinese  "  opium  joint." 

Into  this  room  the  first  night,  three  little  boys — 
typical  ragged  denizens  of  the  street — were  invited. 
Here  a  few  simple  games  were  provided  and  two 
hours  of  such  a  time  was  enjoyed  by  those  boys  as 
they  had  never  dreamed  of  before.  Those  boys  went 
out  on  the  streets  that  night  with  a  new  and  strange 
feeling  in  their  hearts ;  they  felt  that  they  had  a 
friend.  A  friend  !  who  ever  heard  of  a  boy  of  the 
Street,  dirty,  ragged,  wicked  and  repulsive,  having  a 


Headquarters  of  Chicago  Boys'  Club 
— Leased 


A  Unique  Work  25 

friend,  at  least  one  outside  of  his  own  kind  ?  But 
these  boys  realized  that  there  was  a  man  who  was 
their  friend,  and  there  was  a  place  where  a  boy  like 
themselves,  with  tousled  hair  and  savage,  boisterous 
manner,  was  welcome. 

Within  three  weeks  after  the  opening  of  that  small 
room,  to  get  to  which  the  boys  had  to  climb  up  a 
dark,  narrow  stairway  to  the  third  floor,  within  three 
weeks  that  room  was  entirely  overrun  and  overflowed 
with  noisy  urchins  of  the  street.  So  the  only  thing 
to  do  was  to  spread  out  and  to  enlarge  the  quarters. 
Retraction  was  now  impossible.  So  the  entire  floor 
was  rented  and  a  gymnasium  and  bathrooms  were 
installed.  Later  as  the  boys  swarmed  in  and  the 
work  increased,  a  drawing  class  was  added,  then  a 
basket  weaving  department,  then  shoe-cobbling, 
printing,  manual  training  and  bookbinding. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  second  year,  a  second 
floor  was  added  ;  the  next  year,  a  third  floor,  and  now, 
less  than  six  years  since  it  was  started,  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club  flaunts  in  large  letters  its  sign  on  three 
buildings :  one  at  No.  262  State  Street,  which  is  just 
on  the  edge  of  the  Levee,  and  draws  its  boys  from 
the  very  centre  of  the  most  contaminating  influences 
and  some  of  the  worst  dens  of  vice  in  the  world,  an- 
other at  No.  404  State  Street,  the  girls'  department, 
and  still  another  at  No.  188  Gault  Court,  which  is 
in  the  heart  of  that  notorious  district  which  is  some- 
times dubbed  «  Little  Hell." 

Just  around  the  corner  from  No.  262  State  Street, 
the  Club's  headquarters,  stands  the  famous  Pacific 


26  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Garden  Mission ;  back  of  this  the  unmentionable 
scenes  of  Custom  House  Place  and  South  Clark  Street. 
Four  blocks  west  is  a  building,  which  is  only  the  worst 
of  many  like  it,  where  about  fifty  families  reside, — in 
most  cases  a  family  to  a  room.  An  average  of  150 
children  call  this  building  their  home  the  year  round. 
These  children  are  crowded  out  of  their  "  homes  " 
on  to  the  street,  they  are  crowded  off  the  street  into 
the  alley,  they  are  crowded  out  of  the  alley  into  the 
saloons,  the  penny  arcades,  the  dime  museums,  and 
the  low  theatres  which  abound  on  every  hand  ;  they 
are  crowded  out  of  these  into  the  reform  schools,  and 
into  the  jails.  And  still  we  complain  at  our  burden 
of  taxation.  It  is  like  a  parent  complaining  at  the 
payment  of  doctor's  bills  and  funeral  expenses  and 
still  leaving  a  disease-breeding  pool  in  the  door-yard. 
"  To  the  source  of  the  evil "  is  the  cry  of  the  age,  in 
medicine,  in  sanitation  and  even  in  politics;  why  not 
in  morality  and  in  humanity  ? 

The  uniqueness  of  this  institution  lies  in  the  fact 
that  it  is  doing  what  no  one  else  is  doing.  The 
churches,  the  Sunday-schools,  and  the  missions  do  re- 
ligious work  and  reach  mainly  those  to  whom  relig- 
ious instruction  appeals  ;  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  social 
settlements,  and  the  athletic  organizations  do  valuable 
physical  and  social  work ;  the  public  day  schools  and 
evening  schools  do  educational  work.  There  is  no 
other  agency,  unless  it  be  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  that  does 
all  of  these.  The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  applies  the 
method  and  the  principles  used  by  the  church, 
the  settlement  and  the  school,  and  at  the  same  time 


A  Unique  Work  27 

reaches  a  class  that  has  heretofore  been  mainly  un- 
reached  by  any  of  these  agencies,  viz. :  the  newsboy 
and  the  street  waif. 

It  can  also  truly  be  said  that  it  is  an  institution, 
unique  among  boys'  clubs.  It  has  its  counterpart  in 
no  other  city. 

Mr.  Atkinson  has  lately  returned  from  a  trip 
through  the  Eastern  States,  where  he  carefully  studied 
the  nature  and  extent  of  the  work  being  done  for 
street  waifs  in  older  municipalities.  He  found,  to  his 
disappointment,  that  there  was  none  that  combined  a 
thorough  industrial  training  with  a  definite  religious 
instruction.  After  visiting  the  "  Big  Boys'  Club  "  in 
New  York  city,  a  club  with  5,000  members,  he  said 
to  a  friend  who  asked  his  opinion  of  it :  "I  was 
looking  for  a  beehive  of  industry  where  boys  were 
put  on  anvils  and  hammered  into  shape ;  where  they 
have  drilled  into  the  very  fibre  of  their  beings  habits 
of  industry ;  where  they  are  fitted  and  prepared  for 
the  stern  realities  of  life.  I  was  looking  for  a  train- 
ing school  and  not  a  playhouse." 

In  this  respect,  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  is  unique. 
Its  work  is  not  only  a  negative  one — to  keep  the  boys 
off  the  street — but  a  positive  one — to  fit  them  in  the 
most  practical  way  possible  "  for  the  stern  realities  of 
life."  As  a  writer  has  said,  here  is  the  method  which 
"  Puts  into  the  man's  hand  the  means  of  making  a 
good  fight,  but  does  not  remove  from  him  the  neces- 
sity of  fighting, 

"  For  that's  the  old  Amerikin  idee, 

To  make  a  man  a  man  and  let  him  be." 


28  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club,  however,  does  not "  let 
him  be  "  ;  it  rather  gives  the  one  whom  it  has  made 
into  a  man  every  help  that  he  may  continue  to  be  a 
man  and  to  do  a  man's  work. 

There  has  recently  developed  in  the  work  a  very 
important  and  a  very  necessary  feature — an  Employ- 
ment Bureau.  It  is  not  enough  to  fit  a  boy  for  life ; 
we  must  see  that  he  does  that  for  which  he  is  fitted. 
It  is  not  enough  to  provide  a  good  pasture  for  the 
horse ;  we  must  see  that  the  horse  enters  the  pasture 
and  that  he  is  kept  within  its  bounds.  These  ragged, 
dirty,  and  tousled  youngsters  could  not  enter  an 
office  and  obtain  work  for  themselves  any  more  than 
they  could,  unaided,  fit  themselves  for  a  life's  work. 
They  need  an  advocate.  They  need  a  sponsor. 

Such  a  helper  they  have  in  Mr.  E.  R.  Colby.  It 
is  useless  to  put  a  boy  who  loves  athletics  and  hates 
books  into  an  office  where  he  must  sit  all  day  over  a 
desk ;  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  he  will  not  "  stick."  It 
is  also  equally  useless  and  even  more  destructive  to 
the  boy  to  be  placed  in  a  shop  at  grinding  toil  when 
he  is  made  to  be  a  creator  and  a  leader.  The  boy 
needs  some  one  who  understands  him  and  his  powers, 
who  will  locate  him  in  the  place  where  he  belongs, 
who  will  set  him  to  work  at  the  thing  for  which  he  is 
by  nature  adapted.  This  is  the  secret  of  his  success 
as  well  as  the  key  to  his  life.  For  this  delicate  and 
difficult  task,  Mr.  Colby  is  peculiarly  adapted.  He  is 
by  nature  a  lover  of  boys.  He  has  made  them — 
their  ways,  their  thoughts,  and  their  characters, — a 
life  study.  He  has  worked  with  the  boy  whom  he 


A  Unique  Work  29 

recommends  for  a  position  hand-to-hand  and  heart- 
to-heart  for  a  year  or  more  before  he  recommends 
him.  He  knows  all  the  ins-and-outs  of  that  boy's  life, 
his  limitations,  his  tastes,  and  his  talents.  In  short, 
he  knows  what  the  boy  is  made  of  and  what  he  can 
do,  and  he  takes  every  care  to  place  him  where  he 
can  work  with  his  heart  as  well  as  his  hands — where 
he  will  feel  that  it  is  his  business  and  he  is  a  part  of 
it.  If  a  boy  is  where  he  belongs  and  his  heart  is  in 
his  work,  he  will  "  stick  "  to  his  job  and  be  promoted 
in  it ;  if  he  is  forced  into  a  thing  for  which  he  has  no 
liking  and  no  aptitude,  he  will  become  a  drudge  and 
a  shirk,  and  finally  a  deserter. 

Each  boy's  talent  and  his  aptitude  is  discovered  by 
long  and  careful  study  in  the  play-rooms  and  in- 
dustrial departments.  There  the  boy  is  "  put  upon 
an  anvil  and  hammered  into  shape  " ;  there  the  true 
metal  of  his  life  is  discovered.  The  boy  who  has 
taken  particular  delight  in  the  drawing-room  at  the 
Club  is  placed  in  a  position  as  a  designer ;  the  boy 
who  has  been  interested  in  the  printing  department 
or  library  is  located  in  a  publishing  house  or  printing 
office ;  while  the  boy  who  has  spent  most  of  his  time 
during  Club  hours,  in  the  gymnasium  or  play-room 
is  put  at  manual  labour.  In  each  one  of  these  cases, 
specific  instances  may  be  cited  of  boys  who  have 
been  located  in  positions  according  to  their  liking 
and  are  now  doing  well. 

The  other  day,  Mr.  Colby  met  on  the  street  one  of 
the  former  members  who  had  some  time  before  been 
placed  in  a  position.  When  asked  as  to  where  he 


30  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

had  been  keeping  himself,  he  responded :  "  I'm  down 
to  Hillman's  yet.  Much  obleeged.  My  brudder's 
workin'  too.  He's  obleeged  too."  This  he  said  in 
pure  street  fashion,  expressing  more  with  his  ac- 
tions than  his  words.  In  a  few  years,  these  boys 
will  rise  up  in  positions  of  trust  and  prominence 
and  show  how  much  they  are  "  obleeged "  in  a 
more  substantial  way  than  mere  words.  They  are 
already  doing  it.  The  boys  are  the  Club's  best  ad- 
vertisement. 

At  present,  there  are  boys  from  the  Club  located 
at  Marshall  Field's,  the  Boston  Store,  Hillman's, 
Pullman  Company,  and  in  many  other  positions  of 
trust  where  promotion  is  already  under  way.  Two 
of  the  boys  are  studying  at  the  Chicago  Art  Insti- 
tute ;  one  is  a  full  member  of  the  Central  Depart- 
ment of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. ;  one  has  been  off  to 
college,  and  many  are  changed  from  wild,  reckless, 
unruly  members  of  street  gangs  into  quiet,  orderly, 
industrious  boys.  The  accomplishment  of  this,  how- 
ever, has  not  been  as  easy  as  the  telling  of  it.  There 
are  many  factors  which  enter  into  the  saving  of  a 
child. 

The  first  thing  to  be  considered  is  that  he  has  a 
body.  This  must  be,  in  as  far  as  possible,  properly 
fed  and  clothed  and  kept  clean.  For  this  purpose, 
there  are  bath-rooms,  a  clothing  dispensary,  and  for 
emergency  cases,  a  lodging-house  and  free  meals. 
There  also  is  a  visiting  nurse,  who  goes  about  into 
the  dark  homes  and  dirty  hovels  of  the  poor,  minis- 
tering to  bodies  that  are  sick,  deformed  and  emaciated, 


A  Unique  Work  31 

and  through  their  bodies  in  many  instances  reaching 
their  souls. 

The  next  thing  to  be  considered  is  that  these 
street  boys  have  spirits  and  instincts  like  other  chil- 
dren. They  have  the  same  yearning  for  affection, 
the  same  instinct  for  frolic  and  play  that  other  chil- 
dren have.  Here  there  are  two  ways  in  which 
affection  is  brought  to  bear  on  these  children  who 
have  all  their  lives  before  been  estranged  from  it: 
first  by  close,  intimate  contact  with  loving,  devoted 
Christian  teachers  in  the  Club  rooms ;  and  secondly, 
by  planting,  through  the  agency  of  Friendly  Visitors, 
the  seeds  of  love  in  the  homes.  These  Friendly 
Visitors  go  into  the  homes,  like  angels  of  mercy; 
they  are  the  messengers  of  peace  who  come  to  the 
people  with  "good  tidings."  They  win,  in  many 
instances,  the  cooperation  of  the  parents  for  the  good 
of  their  children.  Where  there  have  been  in  the  home 
harshness  and  cruelty  and  unnatural  relations  be- 
tween parents  and  child,  by  the  love  and  counsels 
of  the  Friendly  Visitor,  peace  and  concord  are 
brought  about  and  the  repugnant  hovel  becomes 
more  like  a  home. 

The  next  thing  to  be  noticed  is  that  the  child  has 
talents  and  possibilities  to  be  developed.  The  very 
wickedness  of  the  boy  is  often  a  portent  of  his  pos- 
sible goodness.  Often  the  boy  who  has  vivacity 
enough  in  him  to  be  real  bad  becomes,  when  his 
energy  has  been  controlled  and  directed,  the  best 
and  the  most  promising  boy.  For  the  development 
of  his  talents,  the  boy  is  provided  with  tools,  the 


32  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

training  and  the  encouragement  to  make  of  himself, 
in  the  fullest  degree,  whatever  nature  has  designed 
him  to  be.  Then  the  boy  is  followed  up  and  is  kept 
under  supervision  until  he  is  grown  and  is  able  to 
stand  upon  his  own  feet. 

Right  here,  most  institutions  stop,  if  indeed  they  go 
this  far ;  but  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  is  unique  in  that 
it  acts  upon  the  principle  that  a  boy,  be  he  well  dressed 
or  ill,  be  he  clean  faced  or  grimy,  be  he  corrigible  or 
incorrigible,  be  he  Jew  or  Gentile,  "  Barbarian,  Scyth- 
ian, bond  or  free,"  has  a  hungering  soul  as  well  as  a 
needy  body  and  a  sensitive  mind.  These  soul  de- 
sires are  met  also  in  two  ways :  first,  by  personal 
touch  with  Christian  teachers  and  workers,  and, 
secondly,  by  direct  public  evangelism.  Of  course, 
the  "  personal  touch  "  is  the  more  important,  and  the 
thing  without  which  the  "  public  evangelism  "  would 
be  fruitless,  if  not  altogether  impossible.  Here,  good 
and  bad,  black  and  white,  "  Schenie  "  and  "  Guiney  " 
are  treated  alike  as  lambs  for  whom  Christ  died  and 
as  "  fellow  heirs  with  the  saints."  It  is  sinners  and 
not  the  righteous  that  Christ  came  to  save,  so  these 
workers,  commissioned  by  Him,  are  seeking  those 
who  need  them  most ;  the  outcast,  the  "  incorrigible," 
the  ones  whom  everybody  else  has  abandoned  as 
hopeless. 

It  has  come  about  so  that  the  Juvenile  Court,  the 
Bureau  of  Charities,  the  Police  force  and  other 
agencies  are  bringing  to  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club, 
boys  for  whom  they  wish  them  to  find  positions  and 
to  supervise  them  in  their  work. 


A  Unique  Work  33 

This  work  has  grown,  as  it  is  natural  it  should,  not 
by  leaps  and  bounds,  but  in  a  steady,  healthy  way. 
Different  features  have  been  added  as  the  needs  re- 
quired and  as  the  season  has  ripened  the  fruit. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  work,  the  institution  was 
open  to  both  boys  and  girls.  To  work  the  two  to- 
gether, however,  was  before  long  found  to  be  im- 
practicable. So  the  girls,  though  evidently  as  needy 
as  the  boys,  were  excluded.  Yet,  constantly  the  cry 
has  come  up  from  them :  "  Can't  we  come  to  de 
Club  ?  "  or,  "  Can't  de  girls  have  a  Club  too  ?  "  So  in 
March,  1905,  a  ten-room  floor  was  rented  at  No.  404 
State  Street,  three  blocks  south  from  the  boys'  build- 
ing, and  a  Club  was  opened  for  the  girls.  This  has 
since  been  equipped  with  kitchen  and  pantry  for 
cooking  classes,  with  kindergarten  and  physical 
culture  rooms,  with  sewing,  basket  weaving  and 
bookbinding  classes,  and  here  the  darkened  minds 
of  the  girls  of  the  slums  are  being  opened  to  the 
light  of  the  gospel,  and  they  are  carrying  with  them 
into  their  dark,  gloomy  homes,  the  ray  of  light  they 
have  here  received. 

Now  and  then  boys  come  to  the  Club  from  other 
parts  of  the  city.  As  the  distance  is  too  far  for  them 
to  come  regularly,  they  have  many  times  plead  for 
clubs  to  be  started  in  their  different  neighbourhoods. 
In  following  up  these  requests,  it  has  been  found  that 
there  are  many  other  localities  in  the  city  where  the 
streets  literally  swarm  with  children,  and  where 
practically  nothing  is  being  done  to  safeguard  and 
train  them. 


34  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

In  what  seemed  to  be  the  most  urgently  needy  of 
these  fields,  there  was  started  in  1905,  a  sub-station 
of  the  work  to  meet  these  needs.  At  first,  a  gym- 
nasium was  equipped  in  the  basement  of  a  large 
building  on  Gault  Court,  in  the  "  Little  Hell "  dis- 
trict. 

After  a  few  months  of  experiment  in  a  small  way, 
the  entire  building  of  three  stories  and  a  basement 
was  rented  at  the  amazingly  low  figure  of  fifty  dollars 
per  month,  and  the  work  of  reaching  the  boys  of  the 
notorious  "  Little  Hell "  district  was  begun  in  dead 
earnest.  Here,  as  in  the  parent  work,  the  building 
is  equipped  on  the  principle  that  "  Industrial  training 
is  the  key  that  is  to  unlock  the  street-boy  problem," 
and  here  the  tough  boys  are  being  "  put  upon  the 
anvil  and  hammered  into  shape." 


"  Why  is  it  that  we  run  to  peo- 
ple with  the  gospel  in  the  for- 
eign lands,  but  run  away  from 
them  in  our  own  country." — 
Anon. 

II 

A  GREAT  MISSIONARY  OPPORTUNITY 

"  IF  I  could  have  my  choice  to  be  born  in  the  wilds 
of  Africa  or  in  a  London  slum,  I  would  choose  the 
former."  This  saying  is  credited  to  Mr.  Huxley.  In 
many  ways  the  African  jungle-dweller  has  the  ad- 
vantage over  the  waif  of  a  city  slum.  Here  the 
child  is  not  only  left  in  ignorance  and  superstition, 
but  is  also  thrown  from  its  earliest  childhood  into  the 
midst  of  contaminating  influences  which  are  entirely 
unknown  to  the  heathen  in  Africa. 

Missionary  problems  are  constantly  changing. 
Although  the  needs  in  foreign  fields  are  still  great 
and  the  Macedonian  cry  is  becoming  ever  louder  for 
helpers  in  distant  lands  ;  yet  in  the  cities  of  our  own 
land  to-day  the  needs  are  becoming  imperative,  the 
conditions  appalling,  and  the  dangers  for  the  future 
of  our  country  almost  unspeakable.  Think  of  it! 
Almost  a  million  foreigners,  mostly  of  a  low  class, 
are  coming  into  the  country  every  year.  These 
foreigners — the  most  dangerous  class  of  them  at 
least — settle  almost  exclusively  in  our  cities.  "  This 
foreign  population,  these  unchurched  masses,"  says  a 
writer,  "  with  all  their  dreadful  problems  of  ignorance, 
sin  and  want,  constitute  from  one-half  to  three-fourths 
of  the  population  of  our  great  cities." 

35 


36  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

The  missionary  opportunity  and  responsibility 
which  these  foreigners  entail  upon  us  are  vividly  shown 
in  the  words  of  the  writer  of  a  recent  book,  "  The 
Burden  of  the  City."  She  says,  "  We  must  save 
America  for  the  World's  sake.  More  and  more  are 
home  and  foreign  missions  shown  to  be  but  varying 
phases  of  one  problem.  The  heathen  are  within  our 
own  gates.  Idolatry  and  all  heathenish  vices  are  in  our 
cities,  while  in  Japan,  India,  Africa  and  the  isles  of 
the  sea,  it  is  American  rum  and  English  and  American 
wickedness  that  offer  the  most  serious  obstacles  to 
the  progress  of  the  missionary.  Truly,  '  He  does 
most  to  Christianize  the  world  who  does  most  to 
Christianize  America,  and  he  does  most  to  Christian- 
ize America  who  does  most  to  save  our  cities.'  " 
The  following  facts  will  show  this  standpoint  to  be 
true.  A  century  ago,  America  was  a  nation  of  one 
blood.  Then  our  country  began  to  send  her  loyal 
sons  and  daughters  to  foreign  lands  to  carry  American 
civilization  and  American  Christianity  to  the  heathen 
abroad.  Our  nation  continued  to  be  practically  an 
English-American  people  until  1840.  Since  1820, 
when  the  first  records  were  kept,  twenty  two  million 
immigrants  have  landed  on  our  shores.  Almost  a 
fourth  of  these  have  come  within  the  last  ten  years. 

To-day  the  heathen  are  coming  to  us.  Last  year, 
they  came  more  than  a  million  strong. 

Within  the  last  twenty  years  the  floods  of  immi- 
grants have  been  coming  more  and  more  from 
Southern  Europe,  from  Italy,  from  Austria- Hungary, 
and  from  Russia. 


A  Great  Missionary  Opportunity        37 

Mr.  Whelpley,  the  author  of  "  The  Problem  of  Im- 
migration," says  on  this  subject,  "  Like  a  mighty 
stream  it  finds  its  source  in  a  hundred  rivulets  largely 
in  Northern,  Southern  and  Eastern  Europe.  It's  an 
army  moving  at  the  rate  of  nearly  two  million  each 
year,  and  is  invading  the  civilized  world.  Its  tongue 
is  polyglot ;  in  dress,  all  climes  from  pole  to  equator 
are  indicated  ;  all  religions  and  beliefs  enlist.  There 
is  no  age  limit ;  young  and  old  travel  side  by  side. 
The  army  carries  its  equipment  upon  its  back. 
Throughout  Europe,  the  word  America  is  synony- 
mous in  all  classes  with  freedom,  prosperity  and  hap- 
piness. The  desire  to  reach  America  is  the  first 
sign  of  awakened  ambition  ;  the  first  signal  of  revolt 
against  harsh  environment;  the  dream  of  age  and  youth 
alike.  Gaining  in  volume  and  momentum  every  year, 
the  pressure  of  this  army  has  already  made  itself  felt 
upon  communities  in  which  it  finds  its  destination." 
When  these  alien  hordes  reach  America,  thirty-two 
per  cent,  of  them  remain  in  New  York,  and  crowd 
together  like  swine  in  its  city  slums.  A  like  pro- 
portion go  to  Chicago  and  to  the  other  large  cities 
of  the  continent.  Only  the  better  class  of  the  immi- 
grants settle  in  the  country. 

An  expert  on  the  question  has  said,  "  These  con- 
gested alien  centres  within  our  cities  and  states  be- 
come a  menace  to  physical,  social,  moral  and  polit- 
ical security."  "  These  colonies,"  says  another,  "  be- 
come hotbeds  for  the  propagation  and  growth  of 
false  ideas  of  political  and  personal  freedom." 

There  is  little  value,  however,  in  worrying  over  the 


38  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

damage  and  destruction  which  these  heathen  hordes 
may  bring  upon  us.  They  truly  are  encamped 
against  us  as  a  great  army,  and  we,  in  ourselves,  have 
no  might  against  them ;  but  let  us  lift  up  our  eyes 
unto  the  hills,  and  we  will  find  the  horses  and 
chariots  of  the  Lord  there  ready  to  help  us.  It  is  a 
call  to  arms. 

As  John  Willis  Baer  has  said :  "  Instead  of  placing 
undue  emphasis  on  the  menace  of  this  invasion,  I 
consider  it  a  mission  not  only  for  the  loyal  disciple 
of  Christianity,  but  a  mission  for  every  loyal  Ameri- 
can. We  must  Americanize  the  immigrant  or  he 
will  Europeanize  us.  We  must  lift  him  up  or  he  will 
pull  us  down.  Our  hope  lies  in  God,  a  strong  heart, 
a  clear  head  and  an  outstretched  hand.  Let  the 
American  people  put  their  ears  to  the  ground,  and 
they  will  hear  the  tread  of  the  feet  of  men  and  women 
from  other  countries  in  the  world  who  are  coming 
to  our  shores.  Coming  to  help  make  America  a 
greater  America.  Let  us  throw  over  them  the  stars 
and  stripes  and  over  Old  Glory  the  blood-stained 
banner  of  the  cross.  Let  us  give  each '  newcomer '  a 
man's  chance." 

Viewed  in  this  Christian  way,  the  foreigners  are 
not  a  menace,  but  an  opportunity ;  an  opportunity 
of  which  foreign  missionaries  fifty  or  a  hundred  years 
ago  never  dreamed. 

Think  of  it!  To-day  the  heathen  from  foreign 
lands  are  coming  to  us.  Hitherto,  we  have  sent  our 
missionaries  into  other  lands  and  to  other  peoples,  to 
learn  their  language,  their  customs,  their  viewpoint 


A  Great  Missionary  Opportunity        39 

of  life,  and  then  try  to  infuse  our  religion  and  our 
civilization  into  theirs.  To-day  the  tables  are  be- 
ing turned.  Now,  from  these  foreign  lands  they 
are  coming  to  us :  to  learn  our  language,  our  cus- 
toms, and  our  viewpoint  of  life.  Before,  we  have 
gone  to  teach  them,  and  often  to  teach  to  unwilling 
ears ;  now,  they  are  coming  to  learn  of  us,  willing, 
eager,  expectant. 

The  all-wise  Father,  seeing  that  we  have  been 
faithful  in  a  few  things,  in  sending  our  missionaries 
abroad,  is  committing  unto  us  larger  things.  The 
foreigners,  ignorant,  childlike,  teachable,  who  are 
landing  on  our  shores  in  such  great  and  ever-increas- 
ing numbers,  are  a  sacred  trust  which  the  "  God  of 
hosts  "  has  committed  to  our  charge. 

Will  we  be  faithful  to  the  trust  ? 

We  as  a  nation  and  as  a  Christian  church  are 
just  beginning  to  realize  both  the  need  and  the  op- 
portunity with  which  these  foreigners  are  confront- 
ing us. 

The  hope  of  reaching  them  lies  in  the  children, 
the  "  men  of  to-morrow,"  the  citizens  of  the  coming 
generation.  To  them  we  must  look  for  our  states- 
men, our  business  men,  and  what  will  be  in  larger 
numbers,  our  working  men  of  the  future.  It  remains 
with  us,  with  our  potential  influence  over  them,  to 
say  whether  they  shall  fill  these  places,  or  whether 
they  shall  become  the  political  bosses,  the  saloon- 
keepers and  the  criminals  of  the  next  generation. 
As  Dr.  Channing  once  said,  "  If  the  child  is  left  to 
grow  up  in  utter  ignorance  of  duty,  of  its  Maker  of 


4<D  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

its  relation  to  society,  and  to  grow  up  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  profaneness  and  intemperance,  and  in  the 
practice  of  falsehood  and  fraud,  let  not  the  community 
complain  of  its  crime  !  It  has  quietly  looked  on  and 
seen  him,  year  after  year,  arming  himself  against  its 
order  and  peace ;  and  who  is  most  to  blame,  when 
at  last  he  deals  the  guilty  blow." 

The  above  describes  how  the  children  of  these 
foreigners  are  now  growing  up  in  the  slums  of  our 
great  cities,  and  statistics  are  abundant  to  show  what 
is  the  outcome. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  crime  in  our  great  cities 
occurs  in  these  congested  districts  where  sin  and  vice 
abound,  where  children  live  in  homes  which  are  de- 
void of  all  decency  and  order,  where  they  are  thrown 
out  into  the  street,  into  that  "  great  school  of  crime  " 
during  their  earliest  years.  And  these  congested 
districts  are  mostly  composed  of  the  foreign  element. 

It  is  evident  that  the  churches,  according  to 
present  methods,  are  not  reaching  the  foreigners  and 
the  outcasts.  The  only  way  to  reach  them  is  to  get 
into  the  midst  of  them  and  to  make  your  life  one 
with  theirs.  As  some  one  has  said,  "  We  must  take 
Christ  to  the  people  if  we  expect  the  people  to  take 
Christ." 

This  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  is  doing.  This  in- 
stitution has  planted  itself  in  the  very  heart  of  Chi- 
cago, right  in  the  midst  of  the  most  corrupting  and 
congested  part  of  its  slums. 

Chicago's  first  ward,  which  extends  from  the  river 
on  the  north  to  Twenty-second  Street  on  the  south 


A  Typical  Scene  in  the  Alley 


A  Great  Missionary  Opportunity        41 

and  east  and  west  from  the  lake  to  the  river,  includes 
the  typical  slum  district  of  the  city.  Here  there  are 
36,000  souls,  from  forty  different  nationalities,  and 
jabbering  in  as  many  different  languages.  Here, 
where  sin  abounds  most  frightfully  and  where  the 
population  is  nost  congested,  the  agencies  for  good 
are  noticeably  the  least. 

In  order  to  afford  some  idea  of  the  conditions  as 
they  exist  in  this  ward  a  description  of  one  of  its 
smallest  precincts  may  avail.  Let  us  consider  the 
twelfth  precinct,  which  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Harrison  Street,  on  the  south  by  Polk,  on  the  east  by 
Dearborn,  and  on  the  west  by  Clark  Street.  The  en- 
tire precinct  is  only  235  by  700  feet  in  area,  not  as 
large  as  many  a  front  lawn  in  more  favourable  sur- 
roundings. In  this  small  inclosure  dwell  between 
two  and  three  thousand  souls,  and  almost  every 
nationality,  and  colour  and  type  are  represented  among 
them.  Here  on  every  hand  are  reeking,  crowded 
tenements  ;  open,  unscreened  saloons,  gambling  dens, 
low  theatres  and  cheap  lodging  houses,  and  every 
other  debasing  by-product  of  modern  civilization. 
This  is  the  plague  spot  of  Chicago. 

Included  in  this  precinct  are  the  worst  portion  of 
Custom  House  Place  and  South  Clark  Street,  both 
notorious  for  their  character  of  wickedness  and  crime. 
Here  and  in  the  near-by  surroundings  there  exist 
every  influence  and  agency  to  deprave,  and  but  few 
efforts  to  save  and  uplift  the  people.  True,  here  or 
near  by,  are  the  Railroad  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Life  Boat 
and  Pacific  Garden  Missions,  and  other  smaller 


42  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

agencies.  All  of  these  are  doing  noble  work  with 
their  class  ;  but  none  of  them  are  to  any  degree 
reaching  the  resident  element  of  the  district,  at  least, 
not  the  swarming  children  of  the  twelfth  precinct, 
and  it  is  these  children  who  most  need  reaching. 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  has  stationed  itself  right 
in  the  midst  of  this  district,  just  outside  of  the  pre- 
cinct described,  and  is  making  its  sole  object  to  reach 
these  children  with  the  gospel  and  to  give  each  of 
them  a  "  man's  chance." 

The  thing  to  be  noticed  about  this  institution, 
however,  is  not  so  much  that  it  is  located  in  the 
midst  of  a  vile  and  needy  community,  but  that  it  is 
located  in  the  central  and  the  strategic  part  of  the 
great  and  growing  city  of  Chicago. 

It  is  the  preeminent  possibilities  here  that  make 
the  work  important. 

Mr.  Atkinson,  after  fifteen  years  of  experience  with 
waifdom  in  and  out  of  Chicago  has  said :  "  I  look 
upon  Chicago  as  the  greatest  mission  field  on  the 
continent.  Several  things  contribute  to  make  it 
such.  Among  these  is  its  strategic  location.  There 
is  not  another  city  of  like  proportions  in  the  civilized 
world  so  favourably  located  in  the  very  heart  of  such 
boundless  agricultural  wealth  as  Chicago.  It  is  the 
greatest  inland  port  as  well  as  the  greatest  railroad 
centre  in  the  world.  Eleven  hundred  and  thirty 
eight  passenger  trains  arrive  in  the  city  daily. 
These  eleven  hundred  and  thirty-eight  passenger 
trains  run  over  twenty-six  railway  systems,  all  cen- 
tring here.  These  twenty-six  systems  have  a  com- 


A  Great  Missionary  Opportunity        43 

bined  mileage  of  85,000  miles,  or  more  than  one 
third  of  the  total  mileage  of  the  United  States.  In 
the  course  of  the  year,  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
alone  carries  to  the  city  something  like  18,000,000 
passengers.  The  twenty-six  roads  carry  to  the  city 
a  daily  average  of  160,000  passengers. 

"  These  unlimited  transportation  facilities  are 
bringing  to  our  city  men  and  women  of  all  manner 
of  languages,  from  all  quarters  of  the  world,  and 
making  it  a  city  of  different  nationalities.  The  name 
and  the  fame  of  Chicago  have  gone  abroad  to  the 
poor  and  distressed  of  all  nations  and  they  have 
flocked  and  are  still  flocking  to  the  place  where  a 
few  men  have  made  millions  and  where  multitudes 
go  down  in  the  struggle. 

"  Chicago  has  more  Germans  than  any  city  except 
Berlin  and  Hamburg ;  more  Bohemians  than  any  city 
except  Prague ;  more  Irish  than  any  city  except 
Dublin  ;  more  Scandinavians  than  any  city  except 
Stockholm ;  and  more  Jews  than  can  be  found  in 
Palestine." 

It  is  difficult  to  grasp  the  idea  of  the  immensity  of 
a  city  like  Chicago,  a  city  of  two  million  souls.  It  is 
also  difficult — it  is  impossible — to  fully  grasp  the 
meaning  of  the  train  loads  of  foreigners  who  are  daily 
crowding  into  this  city — this  "  Mecca  of  Waifdom." 

As  Walter  Wellman  has  said  :  "  In  a  single  year 
there  pours  into  the  country  a  multitude  of  humble 
people  equal  to  or  greater  than  the  present  popula- 
tion of  any  of  eighteen  states  of  the  union.  It  means 
that  if  all  these  newcomers,  poor  of  purse,  and  most 


44  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

of  them  poorer  yet  in  qualifications  for  citizenship, 
were  to  assemble  in  one  place  they  would  alone  make 
a  city  exceeded  in  population  by  only  New  York, 
Chicago  and  Philadelphia.  It  means  that  to  every 
eighty  men,  women  and  children  in  the  United  States 
at  the  beginning  of  the  year  one  is  to  be  added  dur- 
ing the  twelve  months  from  the  steerage  of  the  Trans- 
atlantic steamships,"  and  daily  hundreds  of  these  are 
crowding  into  the  already  overcrowded  slums  of 
Chicago.  With  these  facts  before  him  and  with  him- 
self immediately  in  the  thick  of  the  fight  a  recent 
writer  has  said :  "  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
religious  campaign  of  the  future  must  be  waged 
chiefly  in  the  great  cities." 

This  must  be  true  when  we  consider  that  to-day 
over  one-third  of  the  entire  population  of  the  United 
States  dwell  in  cities  of  over  8,000  population.  One 
thirty-eighth  of  the  entire  population  of  the  country 
are  crowded  into  the  190  square  miles  which  we  call 
Chicago,  and  in  some  parts  there  are  over  60,000 
people  to  the  square  mile.  Chicago  alone  has  as 
many  inhabitants  as  all  of  Delaware,  Florida,  Wy- 
oming, Nevada,  Montana,  and  Idaho,  and  three- 
fourths  of  these  are  foreigners. 

Within  the  six  years  of  its  existence,  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club  has  shown  itself  to  be  a  mighty  factor 
for  good  among  these  foreign  hordes,  into  the  very 
centre  of  which  it  has  thrust  itself. 

The  following  figures  look  small  enough  when 
placed  side-by-side  with  the  above  immense  figures 
which  show  the  entire  population  of  Chicago;  but 


A  Great  Missionary  Opportunity        45 

they  mean  something.  They  are  a  part  of  the 
"  Leaven  in  a  Great  City."  They  are  like  the  leaven 
which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of 
meal  till  the  whole  was  leavened. 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  has  a  membership  of 
1,741  street  boys,  thirty  per  cent,  of  whom  are 
Italians,  another  thirty  per  cent,  are  Jews,  about  fifteen 
per  cent,  are  negroes,  while  only  about  three  per  cent, 
are  Americans,  and  almost  every  nation  on  the  earth 
is  represented.  With  the  above  figures  and  facts  in 
mind,  tell  us  if  you  will :  Is  not  this  a  foreign  mis- 
sionary work?  Take  a  walk  with  us  up  Custom 
House  Place  or  Sherman  Street,  hear  the  rattle  of 
foreign  tongues,  see  the  children  half-naked,  under- 
sized, uncared  for,  swarming  on  the  streets,  look  up 
into  the  reeking  tenements  from  which  they  come, 
and  tell  us  if  there  is  not  need  here  for  missionary 
work.  Or  go  with  us  into  the  Ghetto — on  Maxwell 
Street — whence  many  of  the  boys  come,  see  the  push- 
carts and  wagons,  booths  and  shops  right  out  on  the 
street,  see  the  throngs  of  people  crowding,  all  speak- 
ing in  an  unknown  tongue,  and  tell  us  if  we  need  to 
go  to  some  far  distant  land  to  find  the  heathen. 

Truly,  they  are  here  all  about  us,  just  as  ignorant 
of  the  true  Christ  and  of  the  way  of  life  as  any 
heathen  in  darkest  Africa.  Superstition,  and  formal- 
ism, and  idolatry  are  among  them,  and  their  children 
are  all  as  "  sheep  who  have  no  shepherd." 

These  children  swarm  the  streets  in  thousands. 
The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  has  set  itself  to  evangelize 
them,  to  form  them  before  they  need  reforming,  and 


46  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

to  save  them  before  they  are  beyond  the  possibility 
of  saving. 

Its  Friendly  Visitors  and  Visiting  Nurse  are  sent 
into  their  homes,  into  the  dark  alleys,  the  dingy  gar- 
rets, and  the  damp  cellars  to  ferret  out  these  children 
and  discover  the  abodes  of  the  poorest  of  the  poor. 
To  these  they  tell  the  story  of  Jesus  and  His  love, 
and  before  these  at  the  same  time  they  live  the  life  of 
the  lowly  Nazarene  by  ministering  to  their  needs  and 
brightening  their  surroundings.  They  are  gathered 
into  its  mission  rooms  and  there  taught  carpentering, 
printing,  shoe-cobbling,  basket-weaving,  drawing  and 
various  other  industries.  The  girls  are  taught  cook- 
ing, sewing,  dressmaking,  housekeeping,  and  boys 
and  girls  together  are  taught  that  there  is  some 
one  both  in  heaven  and  on  earth  who  loves  and  cares 
for  them,  dirty  and  ragged  and  wicked  though 
they  be. 

These  children,  Jews  and  Italians  as  they  are,  are 
susceptible  to  the  gospel.  They  are  yearning  for 
some  one  to  love  them.  They  come  with  inquir- 
ing minds.  Case  after  case  could  be  cited  of  those 
who  have  voluntarily  acknowledged  that  the  faith  of 
their  fathers  is  unsatisfying,  and  that  the  love  of  God 
in  the  heart  as  they  see  it  exemplified  in  their  teachers 
and  hear  it  presented  in  the  meetings,  is  better  than 
the  amulet  about  the  neck  or  the  mitre  upon  the 
head.  Truly,  here  the  harvest  fields  are  ripe  and 
white  for  the  sickle,  as  well  as  in  foreign  lands. 


Ward  Map  of  Chicago,  Showing  Locations  of  Foreigners 


"Our  close  relations  with  the 
ignorant,  the  degraded,  the 
vicious,  which  it  is  impossible 
to  escape,  are  forcing  us  to  do 
them  good  in  self-defense." — 
Josiah  Strong,  The  New  Era, 
P-345- 

III 
OTHER  NEEDY  FIELDS 

"  IT  is  the  important  point  in  illumination  to  put 
your  light  where  it  is  dark.  If  corporations  did  not 
understand  the  philosophy  of  lighting  cities  by  gas 
better  than  some  of  us  understand  the  philosophy  of 
lighting  cities  by  the  gospel,  the  nights  in  some  of 
our  wards  would  be  as  black  as  the  morals  are." 
Thus  speaks  Dr.  M.  M.  Parkhurst,  Ex-General  Super- 
intendent of  the  Citizens'  League  of  Chicago. 

Yes,  as  will  be  shown  later,  this  is  true.  If  the 
city  lighting  company  should  follow  the  same  princi- 
ple in  its  business  that  is  pursued  by  the  church,  it 
would  plant  its  brightest  lights  in  front  of  the  man- 
sions where  private  lights  already  illuminate  the 
doorways,  and  would  leave  the  dismal  streets  of  the 
poor  unlighted.  Now,  as  always,  "  the  children  of 
this  world  are  in  their  generation  wiser  than  the  chil- 
dren of  light." 

Josiah  Strong  says  of  the  church  :  "  She  is  spend- 
ing her  energies  on  the  best  elements  of  society,  her 
time  is  given  to  teaching  the  most  intelligent,  she  is 
medicating  the  healthiest,  she  is  salting  the  salt,  while 
the  determining  masses,  which  include  the  most  ig- 
norant and  vicious,  the  poorest  and  most  degraded, 
are  alike  beyond  her  influence  and  her  effort." 

47 


48  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Let  us  see  how  far  this  is  true  of  Chicago. 

A  glance  at  the  accompanying  ward  map  will  show 
that  the  most  congested  districts  of  the  city,  and  the 
wards  where  foreigners  predominate  and  where  igno- 
rance, poverty  and  sin  abound,  are  the  wards  that 
border  upon  the  two  branches  of  the  Chicago  River. 

The  wards  9,  10,  n  and  12;  16,  17,  18  and  19 
west  of  the  river;  I,  4,  5,  29  and  30  south  of  the 
river,  and  22,  23  and  24  north  of  the  river,  contain 
largely  the  slums  and  the  crowded  settlements  of  low 
foreigners  in  Chicago. 

It  can  be  noticed  also  from  the  map  and  the  ac- 
companying table  of  figures  that  the  foreigners  of  the 
various  nationalities  have  a  tendency  to  swarm  to- 
gether in  groups  and  communities. 

For  instance,  the  9th,  loth  and  I9th  wards  com- 
pose the  Jewish  district, — the  Ghetto.  In  these  three 
wards  there  are  14,000  adult  Jews  or  about  20,000 
altogether,  young  and  old,  mostly  immigrants  from 
Russia  and  Poland.  These  20,000  Jews,  together 
with  20,000  Bohemians,  1,500  Lithuanians,  8,000 
Italians,  1 3,000  Germans,  14,000  Irish  and  a  scatter- 
ing of  about  twenty  other  nationalities,  making  alto- 
gether 136,000  souls,  occupy  a  space  of  less  than 
three  square  miles. 

The  Italian  district  includes  the  central  river  wards 
I,  17,  19  and  22.  In  these  four  wards  there  are 
12,000  adult  Italians,  or  at  least  18,000  altogether 
young  and  old,  computing  according  to  the  usual 
number  of  children  to  an  Italian  family. 

The  Bohemian  quarters  comprise  wards  9,  10,  II 


Other  Needy  Fields  49 

and  1 2  along  the  south  branch  of  the  river,  and  ward 
29,  which  includes  the  stock  yards  district.  These 
five  wards  contain  33,000  adult,  or  about  50,000 
Bohemians  of  all  ages.  The  largest  Polish  settle- 
ment is  in  wards  16  and  17.  In  these  two  small 
wards  alone  there  are  24,000  adult,  or  about  35,000 
Poles  all  told.  Also,  there  are  many  Poles  in  the 
West  Central  and  Stock  Yards  wards,  4,  5,  II,  12  and 
29.  There  are  25,000  of  them  here. 

Besides  these  foreign  hordes  from  Southern 
Europe,  another  element  of  our  civilization  must  not 
be  left  unnoticed.  This  is  the  coloured  population. 
The  negroes  also  are  inclined  to  settle,  like  bees  in  a 
swarm,  in  crowded  districts.  The  largest  portion  of 
the  city's  coloured  population  is  located  in  the  district 
from  1 2th  Street  south  to  55th  and  bordering  on 
State  Street.  This  includes  the  wards  I,  2,  3  and  30. 
In  these  four  wards  there  are  about  25,000  negroes. 

Besides  the  foreigners  above  specified,  there  are 
within  the  city  of  Chicago  itself,  separate  cities  com- 
posed as  follows  : 

There  is  one  city  of  534,000  Germans,  one  of 
255,000  Irish,  one  of  145,000  Swedes  and  another  of 
60,000  Norwegians. 

Although  these  nationalities  exist  in  larger  num- 
bers than  do  the  Italians,  Jews,  Poles  and  Bohemians, 
they  do  not  present  as  great  a  missionary  problem 
because  of  their  propensity  to  scatter  in  the  outlying 
districts,  to  purchase  their  own  homes  and  to  assimi- 
late with  the  American  people  more  than  do  the 
others. 


_jo  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Yet  even  with  these,  the  conditions  are  appalling 
enough.  Read  over  the  names  of  the  city's  saloon 
keepers,  of  its  boodle  aldermen,  and  of  its  criminals, 
and  you  will  find  a  large  percentage  of  German,  Irish 
and  Swedish  names,  as  well  as  of  Italian,  Jewish, 
Polish  and  Bohemian. 

With  this  general  survey  of  the  foreign  mission 
field  as  it  exists  right  here  in  Chicago,  let  us  see  what 
the  Christian  Protestant  Church  in  Chicago  is  doing 
to  evangelize  these  foreigners  who  have  so  suddenly 
and  so  numerously  thrust  themselves  into  its  midst. 
Has  she  gone  into  these  dark  places  with  the  light  of 
the  gospel,  or  is  she  still  vainly  expecting  those  from 
the  dark  places  to  come  to  her  ?  Let  us  see.  Is  the 
church  of  Christ  a  missionary  church,  as  she  has  been 
commissioned  to  be,  or  is  she  merely  a  "family 
church  "  ? 

Consider  first  the  following  figures.  In  1840  there 
was  one  Protestant  Church  in  Chicago  for  every  747 
of  its  population;  in  1851  one  for  every  1,009;  in 
1862  one  for  every  1,301 ;  in  1870  one  for  every 
I»593J  in  J88o  one  for  every  2,081 ;  in  1885  one  for 
every  2,254  5  at  the  present  time  there  is  one  Prot- 
estant Church  for  every  3,270  of  its  population. 

In  the  country  at  large  about  one-fifth  of  the  pop- 
ulation are  members  of  some  evangelical  church. 
In  Chicago  in  1887  only  one-thirteenth  of  the  popu- 
lation were  thus  under  the  influence  of  the  gospel. 
To-day  a  much  smaller  percentage  than  this  is  rep- 
resented in  the  churches. 

Let  us  consider  what  is  actually  being  done  by  the 


Other  Needy  Fields  51 

several  evangelical  churches  to  meet  these  needs. 
The  largest  and  most  influential  Protestant  organiza- 
tion in  the  city,  the  Methodist  Church,  has  with  its 
several  branches,  154  societies  in  Chicago.  Twelve 
of  these  belonging  to  the  Rock  River  Conference, 
are  located  in  slum  districts  and  are  to  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  striving  to  reach  the  lower  classes.  The 
Methodist  Society  has  one  church  among  the  Italians, 
four  among  the  Bohemians,  and  one  among  the 
French  of  the  city.  Besides  these,  there  are  thirteen 
German  Methodist  Churches,  eighteen  Swedish,  eight 
Norwegian-Danish  and  eleven  African  Methodist 
Churches. 

The  Presbyterian  organization  has  seventy-two 
churches  and  ten  stations  in  needy  districts.  One  of 
these  is  among  the  Chinese,  one  among  the  Italians 
and  one  among  the  negroes. 

The  Congregational  Church  has  eighty-seven  or- 
ganizations and  ten  of  them  may  be  counted  as  mis- 
sions to  the  unfortunate  class.  One  of  them  is  to  the 
Chinese,  two  among  the  Swedes,  one  German  and  the 
others  are  missions  or  Institutional  Churches  in  needy 
districts. 

The  Baptists  have  seventy-nine  churches,  fourteen 
of  which  are  missions,  and  fourteen  others  of  which 
are  churches  for  foreign  people. 

The  above  figures  show  that  the  Protestant  churches 
are  not  entirely  inert  concerning  the  crying  needs  of 
those  about  them.  They  have  planted  and  heroically 
maintained  a  few  lights  in  the  dark  places.  Indeed 
it  may  be  said  of  these  churches  as  it  was  of  the  seven 


52  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

churches  of  Asia :  "  I  know  thy  works  and  charity 
and  service  and  faith  and  thy  patience  and  thy  works ; 
and  the  last  to  be  more  than  the  first.  Notwith- 
standing I  have  a  few  things  against  thee." 

As  it  always  has  been,  there  are  a  few  in  the 
churches  who  are  alive  and  alert  to  the  needs  of  the 
lost  about  them,  while  the  great  body  of  the  church 
is  asleep.  While  the  few  are  labouring  and  sacrific- 
ing, there  are  the  many  who  only  "  sit  and  sing  them- 
selves away  to  everlasting  bliss,"  although  vice  and 
crime,  sin  and  sorrow,  ignorance  and  corruption  are 
within  hand-reach  of  every  one  of  them. 

Yes,  something  is  being  done  towards  the  evangel- 
ization of  the  masses  in  our  great  cities,  and  from 
the  church's  standpoint  more  and  more  is  being  done 
every  year,  but  it  is  by  no  means  keeping  pace  with 
the  growth  of  the  field  and  the  demands  of  the  hour. 

Surely  now,  if  ever,  "  The  time  has  come  to  hurl  at 
least  a  hundred  times  our  present  forces  and  funds 
into  the  evangelization  of  our  great  cities." 

As  a  sample  of  the  frightful  conditions  that  exist, 
let  us  look  into  the  records  concerning  the  seven- 
teenth ward  of  the  city.  This  ward  is  scarcely  a  mile 
square ;  yet,  there  are  62,000  people  crowded  within 
its  borders.  14,000  of  these  are  Poles,  8,000  are  Ger- 
mans, 7,000  are  Norwegians,  2,500  are  Swedes,  2,500 
are  Italians,  while  only  about  4,000  of  them  are 
Americans.  In  this  ward  there  are  321  open  saloons 
with  the  usual  number  of  accompanying  low  theatres, 
gambling  dens,  dives  and  hell-holes.  In  this  ward, 
there  are  five  Catholic  churches,  two  Jewish  Syna- 


fable  Showing  Population,  Number  of  Churches  ana  Humour  or  Saloons  In  Chicago  by  warda. 

Churches . 


1 

15000  20000 

20001  50  C 

200 

100 

1000 

1000 

3001  3000 

782 

26 

4 

5 

-J 

8 

43000 

17000 

200   500 

50 

100 

3000 

2000 

1000  8000 

197 

20 

8 

8 

4 

34000 

17000 

100 

1000 

50 

150 

3000 

3000 

1000I40CO 

147 

14 

a 

1 

7 

4 

46000 

8000 

400 

250 

2000 

1000 

7000 

4000 

700 

150 

198 

5 

8 

2 

5  19000 

4000 

50 

300 

3000 

300 

7000 

8000 

700 

50 

247 

9 

7 

6 

6 

20000 

30000 

50 

2000 

50 

100 

3000 

3000 

1000 

700 

13 

25 

4 

8 

7 

11000 

30000 

100 

•  700 

25 

50 

3000 

3000 

2000 

1000 

5»5 

84 

4 

1 

S 

8 

2000   5000 

300 

200 

5000 

200 

5000 

3000 

3000 

50 

245 

22 

7 

13 

9 

42000   1000 

350 

7000 

700 

3000 

4000 

2000 

100 

195 

4 

5 

19 

6 

10  47000 

1000 

50 

4000 

400 

11000 

3000 

3000 

100 

188 

6 

1 

1 

11  !  45000 

2000 

100   600 

5000 

9000 

8000 

3000 

500 

228 

7 

6 

1 

8 

12  1  13000   4000 

300   200 

3000 

10000 

8000 

3000 

2000   25 

320 

10 

4 

7 

13  19000  18000 

150  1  150 

25 

100  2000  4000 

300 

25 

141 

20 

S 

1 

14 

23000  J16000 

500 

150 

60 

100  4000  4000 

700 

800 

173 

19 

S 

5 

15 

37000   4000 

75 

1000 

500 

500|]2000 

1000 

2000 

137 

8 

4 

3 

13 

1G 

50000 

2000    75 

1000 

14000 

100  7000 

100C 

200 

236 

8 

5 

2 

17 

60000 

3000  2000 

600 

10000 

700  6000 

2000 

2000 

25 

321 

6 

S 

14 

18 

28000 

110001  300 

500 

100 

50 

3000 

4000 

500 

10001355 

18 

1 

11 

19 

47000 

6000  '5000 

3000 

'500    800 

2000  5000 

200!   50  !  273 

8 

3 

z 

2 

20 

45000 

24000,  200 

1000 

60 

150 

3000  3000 

600   2001147  20 

4 

2 

£ 

21 

35000 

25000   250 

200 

30     50 

5000  3000 

2000   500  -2"S8  11 

1 

1 

5 

22 

39000 

4000  3000 

200 

500 

80 

8000'  3000 

7000;  250  295i  11 

4 

1 

5 

23 

33000 

7000    75 

250 

100  !   150 

ISOOOi  1000 

1000   100  129 

10 

1 

1 

5 

24 

33000 

7000 

75 

200 

700    150 

EOOO  1000 

1000    25  180 

3 

4 

4 

25  111000 

22000 

100 

250 

50    50 

8000  10CC 

6000  j   75  137 

82 

3 

9 

26 

8000  1  10000 

60 

100 

50 

50 

10000  1000 

3000    25 

141  i  21 

6 

13 

27 

2000 

9000 

40 

150 

1000 

600 

9000  1  1000 

2000   75 

221 

35 

8 

30 

28  '26000 

7000 

100 

350 

3000 

200 

8000  1000 

3000      J195 

13 

S 

1 

11 

29 

5000 

2000 

40 

1.50 

4000 

4000 

8000:  5000 

300    80 

361 

8 

12 

2 

4 

30 

17000 

9000 

250 

200 

50 

40 

4000  7000 

1000 

3000  243 

3 

2 

1 

5 

31 

4000 

14000 

200 

300 

50 

150 

4000  3000 

4000   500)121 

28 

4 

2 

11 

32 

4000 

18000 

200 

100 

50 

150 

4000 

2000 

1000   300  100 

33 

8 

1  5 

33 

3000 

10000 

800 

100 

800 

400 

3000 

2000 

4000 

100 

159 

27 

11 

14 

34 

7000 

9000 

50 

75 

50 

2000 

3000 

2000 

200 

107 

19 

6 

'  4 

85 

4000 

9000 

50 

50 

100 

100  1  3000  1000 

200 

100 

59 

2Z 

5 

117 

f  Adults   only. 

#Pigures  Taken  from  School  Census  of  1904 

Table  Showing  Population  of  Chicago  by  Wards,  also  Number 
of  Saloons  and  Churches 


Other  Needy  Fields  £3 

gogues,  fourteen  churches  of  foreign  denomination, 
and  only  six  American  Protestant  churches  or  mis- 
sions to  counteract  the  evil. 

Place  side  by  side  with  this  the  statistics  for  the 
aristocratic  sixth  ward,  which  includes  Kenwood  and 
Hyde  Park,  the  place  of  culture  and  refinement,  of 
wealth  and  luxury,  of  outward  morality  and  civic 
decency.  Here  the  population  is  only  about  20,000 
to  the  square  mile  and  more  than  half  of  them  are 
cultured  Americans.  Here  there  are  thirty-two 
churches,  all  but  seven  of  which  are  Protestant,  and 
here  there  are  only  thirteen  saloons,  whose  evil  in- 
fluence these  twenty-five  Protestant  churches  are  set 
to  counteract,  as  compared  with  321  saloons  in  the 
other  ward,  whose  influence  six  feeble,  struggling 
missions  are  seeking  to  overcome.  This  is  but  a 
sample. 

There  are  in  Chicago  seven  times  as  many  saloons 
as  there  are  churches.  The  saloon  is  the  working 
men's  club,  and  the  church  raises  its  club  against  the 
saloon,  but  it  provides  no  club  or  home  or  welcome 
for  the  working  man  to  draw  him  away  from  the 
saloon.  As  is  clearly  shown  in  the  chart,  the 
churches  are  most  where  the  saloons  are  least  and 
the  churches  are  the  fewest  and  the  weakest  where 
the  saloons  and  the  foreign  element  which  patronize 
them  are  the  most  numerous  and  the  most  disrepu- 
table. 

As  a  writer  has  truly  said  :  "  The  trouble  is  not 
merely  that  the  cities  have  so  little  Christianity  (in 
comparison  with  the  wickedness  and  heathenism)  but 


54  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

that  the  Christianity  which  they  do  have  is  confined 
to  certain  limited  sections  of  society,  leaving  other 
sections,  and  those  which  comprise  the  great  mass 
of  the  people,  quite  destitute  of  it  and  practically 
heathen." 

Take  the  following  figures  as  an  illustration.  In 
the  sixth  ward  there  is  one  Protestant  church  to 
every  2,348  of  its  inhabitants ;  while  in  the  seven- 
teenth there  is  only  one  to  every  10,308.  In  the 
sixth  ward  about  forty-six  per  cent,  of  the  people  are 
foreigners  and  those  of  the  best  class,  while  in  the 
seventeenth,  ninety-six  per  cent,  of  them  are  foreign- 
ers and  the  most  of  them  are  of  the  low,  ignorant, 
vicious  class.  In  the  sixth  ward  there  is  only  one 
saloon  to  every  4,501  of  its  inhabitants,  while  in  the 
seventeenth  there  is  one  saloon  to  every  192  of  its 
inhabitants.  Tell  us,  have  we  not  a  mission  field 
right  here  at  our  own  doors  ! 

We  send  our  missionaries  abroad  to  convert  the 
Catholics  in  Italy,  South  America  and  Mexico,  to 
convert  the  Bohemians,  the  Roumanians,  the  Turks 
and  the  Chinese.  We  believe  that  our  religion  is 
enough  better  than  theirs  to  send  our  consecrated 
missionaries  over  land  and  sea  to  take  it  to  them  ; 
but  when  they  come  to  us  and  settle  in  our  own  land 
and  form  cities  in  the  heart  of  our  own  cities,  as 
large  or  larger  than  any  in  the  lands  from  which  they 
came,  we  Americans  gather  our  skirts  about  us  and 
move  away  from  them  into  the  suburbs,  and  there 
found  our  wealthy  churches  and  worship  in  them  to 
ourselves  while  the  foreigners  reek  in  their  poverty, 


Other  Needy  Fields  55 

fester  in  their  sin,  and  die  in  their  ignorance  apart 
from  our  help  or  our  notice. 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  has  not  only  planted  it- 
self in  the  heart  of  this  great  sin-cursed  city  where 
it  can  draw,  and  does  draw,  its  boys  of  the  foreign 
element  from  the  reeking  slums  of  the  first,  second, 
fourth,  ninth,  tenth  and  nineteenth  wards  of  the  city ; 
but  it  has  planted  a  sub-station  of  its  work  in  an- 
other needy  district  in  the  centre  of  the  twenty- 
second  ward,  on  the  fringe  of  the  congested,  sin- 
cursed,  drink-soaked  seventeenth  ward,  in  the  midst 
of  "  Little  Hell "  and  "  Smoky  Hollow,"  and  is  there 
showing  the  people  in  a  practical  way  that  there  is 
some  one  who  names  himself  by  the  name  of  Christ 
who  cares  for  them. 

Perhaps  the  best  idea  of  this  district  can  be  given 
by  quoting  the  words  of  Miss  Mary  McDowell,  head 
resident  of  the  University  of  Chicago  Settlement. 
In  a  speech  recently  delivered  in  Chicago,  she  said : 
"  To  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  conditions  on 
the  Lower  North  Side,  with  its  congested  population 
west  of  Clark  Street  and  its  lack  of  playground 
facilities,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  know  that  the 
population  of  this  district  is  mainly  foreign  with  a 
density  of  100  to  150  to  the  acre  and  in  some  cases, 
reaching  a  much  higher  figure.  The  houses  are  three 
and  four  deep  between  streets  with  an  average  of  two 
families  on  each  floor,  and  few,  if  any,  sanitary  ar- 
rangements. 

"  In  the  region  popularly  known  as  '  Smoky  Hol- 
low* and  north  of  Division  Street,  is  an  ever  in- 


56  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

creasing  Italian  colony,  with  hundreds  of  sweat-shops, 
the  streets  and  sidewalks  fairly  bristling  with  children 
who  aspire  to  become  American  citizens. 

"  The  region  from  the  river  to  Fullerton  Avenue 
is  two  and  one-half  miles  long  by  three-quarters  to 
one  and  one-half  miles  wide  with  little  or  no  vegeta- 
tion along  the  streets,  or  in  the  yards,  except  in  the 
most  northern  portion.  In  the  same  district  there  is 
but  one  public  bath  and  but  one  gymnasium.  Ex- 
perts who  have  made  careful  inquiries  into  the  con- 
ditions of  crime  and  disease  that  obtain  in  this  dis- 
trict, agree  that  it  is  one  of  the  worst  places  in  the 
city. 

"  With  over  20,000  children  in  the  public  schools 
and  probably  half  as  many  more  in  parochial  schools, 
the  only  provision  made  for  the  outlet  of  healthy 
child  activity  in  the  above  district,  are  three  play- 
grounds scarcely  two  acres  in  area,  one  of  which  is  a 
small  corner  under  the  Northwestern  Elevated  Rail- 
road. 

"  On  the  thinly  populated  east  side  of  Clark  Street, 
we  have  shady  streets,  grassy  plots,  beautiful  Lake 
Michigan  and  besides  Lincoln  Park,  six  small  parks 
and  beauty  spots.  Is  it  any  wonder,  that  under  such 
favourable  conditions  this  district  has  the  lowest 
death  rate  in  the  city  ?  And  is  it  not  possible  to  at 
least  in  a  measure  transform  this  hideous  and  stuffy 
desert  in  the  vicinity  by  giving  it  here  and  there  an 
oasis  upon  which  will  grow  the  larger  hopes  of  a  ris- 
ing generation  and  out  of  which  will  be  realized  a 
higher  civic  standard  ?  " 


Other  Needy  Fields  57 

This  speech  was  recently  made  in  the  interest  of 
establishing  small  parks  in  the  community,  as  they 
are  established  to  such  great  advantage  at  certain 
points  on  the  South  Side. 

These  would  undoubtedly  be  of  great  benefit  in 
the  lessening  of  crime  and  in  raising  a  "  higher  civic 
standard."  But  what  is  needed  and  what  is  being 
realized  more  and  more  as  effectual  in  these  days,  is 
not  only  playgrounds  and  breathing  spaces,  although 
they  are  necessary  and  valuable,  but  trade  schools 
and  missions.1 

What  is  needed  is  a  lighthouse  to  warn  and  prevent 
these  sin-threatened  children  from  falling  upon  the 
rocks,  rather  than  a  life-saving  station  to  gather  them 
in  drowned  and  dying,  after  the  ship  has  been 
wrecked.  There  is  also  needed  not  only  a  lighthouse 
to  prevent  them  from  ruin,  but  a  pilot  who  can  go  out 
to  them  and  lead  them  safely  into  the  harbour.  The 
cry  to-day  is  not  only  prevention  but  construction. 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  has  stationed  itself  in  this 
field  with  provisions  for  the  outlet  of  the  children's 
play  spirit  through  its  gymnasium,  its  play-rooms 
and  its  summer  outings ;  and  with  provision  for 
actual  instruction  through  its  carpenter  shop,  art  class, 
printing,  shoe-cobbling  and  basket- weaving  depart- 
ments ;  and  also  with  provision  for  safe-guarding  their 
morals  and  fulfilling  the  yearnings  of  their  spiritual 
nature  through  its  Sunday-school  and  regular  gospel 
meetings.  < 

Branch  Club,  No  2,  is  so  situated  that  it  can  draw 

1  For  further  discussion  of  this  point,  see  Chapter  XI. 


58  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

the  boys, — and  later  the  girls,  we  hope, — from  the 
sixteenth,  the  seventeenth,  the  twenty-second  and 
the  twenty-third  wards. 

True,  there  are  already  two  social  settlements  in  the 
seventeenth  ward  and  two  in  the  twenty-second,  and 
all  of  them  are  working,  more  or  less,  for  the  boys. 

The  objection  is  too  often  heard  in  relation  to 
charity  work :  "  Another  one  has  the  field.  Why 
should  you  trespass  ?  "  And  yet,  in  favourable  cir- 
cumstances and  in  less  needy  districts,  there  are  known 
to  be  churches  on  every  corner  of  a  block  and  large 
Sabbath-schools  in  each ;  yet  none  of  them  lack  for 
numbers  or  fail  to  find  their  work  to  do.  How  much 
more  should  it  be  deemed  true  in  these  needy  dis- 
tricts where  there  are  from  50,000  to  60,000  people 
to  the  square  mile,  and  from  100  to  200  to  the  acre, 
and  practically  all  of  them  are  unevangelized  ? 

The  twenty-second  ward  has  4,000  Italians,  10,000 
Germans,  9,000  Swedes,  4,000  Irish,  295  saloons  and 
only  eleven  Protestant  Evangelical  churches.  There 
is  every  difference  between  this  and  the  adjoining 
twenty-first  ward,  which  has  30,000  Americans  as 
compared  with  the  5,000  of  the  twenty-second  ward 
and  only  a  small  percentage  of  foreigners. 

Between  these  two  wards,  as  between  the  sixth 
and  the  thirtieth  on  the  South  Side,  there  is  a  great 
gulf  fixed ;  the  one  has  the  aristocracy  of  Lake  Shore 
Drive  and  Lincoln  Park,  and  the  other,  the  squalor 
and  the  sin  of  "  Little  Hell "  and  "  Smoky  Hollow." 
Here,  if  anywhere,  are  contrasted  the  two  sides  of 
life,  the  two  extremes.  The  twenty-third  ward  is 


Other  Needy  Fields  59 

composed  largely  of  Germans,  20,000  of  them  in  its 
two  square  miles. 

The  seventeenth  ward  has  already  been  described. 

The  sixteenth  ward  has  a  population  of  50,000  to 
the  square  mile,  is  composed  largely  of  Poles  and 
Germans,  has  236  saloons  and  only  eight  Protestant 
churches.  There  is  no  social  settlement  in  this  ward 
and  but  few  influences  for  good.  The  Northwestern 
University  Settlement,  however,  can  reach  into  its 
needs  on  the  west,  and  the  Boys'  Club,  Branch  No.  2, 
on  the  east  and  northward  along  the  river,  where  the 
worst  conditions  abound. 

Another  needy  field  lies  within  the  thirtieth  ward. 
This  ward  directly  faces  the  Stock  Yards  on  the  east. 
The  police  avow  that  there  is  much  crime  and  wick- 
edness in  this  quarter,  especially  among  the  boys. 
There  are  at  the  present  time,  about  250  cases  of 
juvenile  criminals  on  probation  under  the  Juvenile 
Court  from  this  district.  This  small  ward,  only  two 
square  miles  in  area,  contains  243  open  saloons. 
Your  author  counted  fifteen  of  these  in  an  almost 
unbroken  row,  door  after  door,  on  Halsted  Street. 
No  wonder  that  the  boys  go  wrong  ! 

This  ward  claims  only  three  American  Protestant 
churches  ;  has  a  population  of  almost  50,000  people, 
has  no  social  settlement,  no  gymnasium,  no  baths, 
no  public  playgrounds  in  the  vicinity.  Is  it  any 
wonder  the  boys  go  wrong  ? 

Another  needy  field  and  one  that  is  becoming 
more  needy  every  day,  for  work  of  the  kind  that  the 
Chicago  Boys'  Club  can  do,  lies  in  the  neighbourhood 


60  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

adjoining  22d  Street  and  Wabash  Avenue.  This  is 
just  too  far  removed  from  the  building  at  No.  262 
State  Street  to  be  accessible  for  a  large  number  of  the 
boys  of  that  community,  and  the  temptations  there, 
as  the  red-light  district  moves  constantly  south,  are 
becoming  more  and  more  appalling. 

This  district  has  a  large  population  of  negroes, 
almost  1 2,000  in  a  square  mile,  but  the  Italians  and 
the  Jews  are  also  encroaching  upon  it. 

As  the  slums  and  the  dives  and  the  hell-holes 
move  in, — and  they  are  moving  in  here  rapidly, — 
the  physical  appearance  and  the  population  of  the 
district  naturally  changes,  as  it  is  now  daily  changing. 
In  a  few  years,  this  will  be  a  strategic  point  for 
another  branch  of  the  Boys'  Club. 

Twenty-second  Street  and  Wabash  Avenue  is 
already  almost  a  second  Custom-House-Place  or  a 
successor  to  it,  and  there  are  swarms  of  children  all 
about  whose  lives  are  being  and  are  destined  to  be 
polluted  by  its  evil  atmosphere,  unless  some  one 
comes  to  the  rescue. 

Although  the  outlying  districts  of  the  city  are  sup- 
posed to  be  less  needy,  because  less  congested  than 
the  central  wards,  there  is  one  locality  to  the  extreme 
south  of  the  city  where  the  conditions  are  extremely 
dangerous  in  their  portent. 

This  district  is  included  in  the  eighth  ward  and 
contains  the  large  factories  of  South  Chicago.  Al- 
though this  ward  has  only  a  population  of  2,000 
people  to  the  square  mile  as  compared  with  60,000  in 
the  seventeenth  ward,  yet  there  is  a  large  and  danger- 


Other  Needy  Fields  6l 

ous  population  of  Poles  living  there  about  the  shops. 
There  are  more  Poles  than  Americans  in  the  entire 
ward.  There  are  245  saloons  to  quench  their  thirst  for 
that  which  represents  the  fires  of  hell,  and  but  a  few 
churches  or  missions  to  satisfy  their  thirst  for  the 
water  of  life. 

All  who  know  the  work  of  the  Chicago  Boys' 
Club  agree  in  saying  that  its  principles  and  methods 
are  those  which  can  be  applied  successfully  among 
the  boys  of  any  community.  Chief  Probation  Officer 
Thurston  of  the  Chicago  Juvenile  Court  said,  after 
inspecting  the  work :  "  This  is  but  a  sample  of  what 
ought  to  be  done  in  every  needy  district  of  the  city." 
It  is  the  purpose  and  policy  of  the  managers  of  this  in- 
stitution to  occupy  these  several  needy  and  neglected 
fields  with  a  work  after  its  own  kind  as  fast  as  the 
funds  will  allow  and  the  other  things  necessary  are 
available. 

Even  in  the  midst  of  the  most  advantageous  sur- 
roundings where  the  churches  are  the  most  and 
the  saloons  are  the  least,  there  is  a  need  for  such 
a  work  as  this.  In  temperate,  church-going,  "  law- 
and-order "  Englewood,  even,  there  is  a  need  for 
such  a  work.  In  every  community,  no  matter  how 
many  fashionable  churches  and  commodious  Sabbath- 
schools  there  may  be,  there  is  to  be  found  a  large 
element,  both  of  children  and  adults,  who  are  en- 
tirely unreached  by  the  efforts  of  all  the  churches 
and  Sabbath-schools  combined.  Go  with  us  to  the 
New  Marlowe  Theatre  on  Stewart  Avenue,  or  the 
Vaudette  Theatre  on  63d  Street,  or  to  the  Penny 


62  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Arcade  on  Halsted  Street,  on  any  Sunday  after- 
noon and  see  the  hundreds  of  boys  and  young  men 
who  crowd  into  them  and  who  stand  about  their  en- 
trances, cigarette  in  mouth  and  oath  on  lips,  and  see 
if  your  spirit  is  not  stirred  within  you  like  Paul's, 
when  he  came  to  Athens  and  saw  the  city  wholly 
given  to  idolatry.  The  Juvenile  Court  officers  tell 
us  that  many  of  the  hardest  and  most  discouraging 
cases  they  have  to  handle  are  those  of  boys  who 
come  from  these  seemingly  decent  districts,  even 
from  good  homes. 

Surely  the  appeal  to  the  philanthropic  public 
would  not  go  unheeded  if  they  only  realized  what 
the  conditions  are.  If  the  awful  peril  that  confronts 
the  young  of  our  cities,  whether  in  the  slums  or  on 
the  boulevards,  were  brought  home  personally  to  the 
hearts  and  convictions  of  the  people  they  would  be 
compelled  to  act. 

"  The  great  evils  of  our  cities,"  says  Josiah  Strong, 
"  are  seen  and  felt  by  comparatively  few.  Bring 
Christian  men  and  women  into  personal  contact  with 
the  homes  of  the  city,  and  with  the  attics  and  cellars 
called  homes,  and  the  social  wrongs,  the  industrial 
abuses,  and  the  nameless  evils  which  now  thrive  in 
secret  would  set  Christian  blood  to  burning  and 
Christian  nerves  to  tingling,  and  Christian  tongues  to 
crying  aloud  until  public  sentiment  was  aroused  ;  and 
in  this  country  public  sentiment  is  only  less  mighty 
than  omnipotence." 

So,  if  it  is  due  to  a  lack  of  intimate  knowledge  or 
a  consequent  dearth  of  personal  feeling  of  responsi- 


Other  Needy  Fields  63 

bility  that  the  people  fail  to  go  to  the  help  of  the 
needy,  we  who  do  know  and  feel  will  be  charitable 
and  condemn  ourselves  rather,  for  not  bringing  to 
them  the  news. 


"  Every  boy  is  full  of  steam  like 
a  boiler;  play  is  his  safety 
valve  ;  don't  sit  on  the  safety 
valve  or  you'll  damage  the 
boy." — Jacob  Riis. 

IV 

THE  PLAN  OF  ATTACK 

THE  last  two  chapters  have  described  the  needs  of 
the  field,  and  the  open  doors  of  opportunity  which 
the  Club  workers  are  seeking  to  enter.  In  this  chap- 
ter, we  will  consider  the  plan  by  which  these  needs 
are  being  met,  and  the  practical  method  by  which 
the  hitherto  closed  doors  of  these  boys'  yearning 
hearts  are  opened. 

There  is  a  wide  difference  between  a  settlement 
and  a  mission  ;  there  is  also  a  difference  between  a 
settlement  and  a  boys'  club.  Many  boys'  clubs  are 
not  missions, — they  are  simply  "  clubs  " — but  the 
Chicago  Boys'  Club  differs  from  a  settlement,  as  well 
as  from  the  ordinary  boys'  club,  in  the  fact  that  it  is 
distinctly  a  mission.  It  has  a  distinct  purpose  and 
an  avowed  work  to  perform. 

The  generally^  confessed  purpose  of  a  settlement  is 
this :  We  are  not  coming  among  you  as  some  one 
far  above  you  to  lift  you  up ;  we  are  not  coming  to 
convert  you  to  our  manner  of  thinking  or  to  our  form 
of  belief.  We  have  no  propaganda.  We  are  your 
friends.  We  come  among  you  to  live  with  you,  to 
be  your  neighbours,  to  live  your  life,  to  understand 
your  problems,  to  get  at  your  viewpoint,  and  to 
work  together  with  you  for  the  betterment  of  our 

64 


The  Plan  of  Attack  65 

common  life  and  surroundings.  The  working  idea 
of  the  settlement  is  that  of  neighbourliness.  "  God 
is  our  Father  and  all  we  are  brethren  " ;  this  is  their 
only  dogma. 

The  idea  is  a  beautiful  one.  Indeed,  woe  be  unto 
either  the  settlement  or  the  mission  worker  who  goes 
about  his  work  without  the  idea  of  friendliness.  Yet 
there  is  a  difference.  A  mission  has  a  propaganda ; 
a  mission  has  a  work  to  perform ;  a  mission  does 
openly  go  down  among  the  masses  with  a  purpose 
to  uplift  them.  A  true  mission  worker  realizes  that 
he  is — not  of  himself,  but  by  the  grace  of  God — 
better  than  those  to  whom  he  goes,  and  that  the  same 
grace  which  has  changed  his  life  can  make  those  to 
whom  it  is  applied  in  the  slums  better  than  they  are. 

The  mission  recognizes  that  it  is  sin  that  makes 
the  slums  ;  that  there  are  slums  in  the  world  because 
there  is  sin,  because  there  is  drunkenness  and  because 
there  is  ignorance. 

The  doctrine  of  the  mission  is  this :  "  Whosoever 
shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved  " ; 
but,  with  true  Scriptural  common  sense,  it  adds  : 
"  How  then  shall  they  call  on  Him  in  whom  they 
have  not  believed  ?  And  how  shall  they  believe  on 
Him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard  ?  And  how  shall 
they  hear  without  a  preacher  ?  And  how  shall  they 
preach  except  they  be  sent  ?  " 

In  short,  the  missionary  realizes  that  the  slum  will 
still  exist  and  will  continue  to  grow  worse  and  worse 
until  somebody,  full  of  "  grace  and  grit  and  gump- 
tion," throws  off  his  coat,  rolls  up  his  sleeves,  and 


66  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

goes  down  into  the  very  midst  of  the  reeking  dens 
of  vice  and  infamy,  and  tells  them  about  the  Christ 
who  is  able  to  save. 

The  late  Hugh  Price  Hughes  of  London,  England, 
has  stated  as  his  urgent  conviction,  that "  The  un- 
churched masses  belong  to  any  religious  body  that 
has  the  scriptural  audacity  to  go  after  them."  "  To 
go  after  them ! "  That  is  the  rallying  cry  of  the 
missionary;  to  go  after  them  as  a  wise  fisherman 
goes  after  his  game.  "  Ye  shall  become  fishers  of 
men,"  says  the  Master ;  but  first  He  says  :  "  Follow 
Me  and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers  of  men." 

The  settlement  idea,  and  all  that  it  contains  is,  and 
must  be,  the  working  principle  of  the  missionary  to 
the  slums.  If  he  is  to  really  reach  the  people  there, 
he  must  be  to  them  a  friend,  a  neighbour  and  a  fellow 
citizen ;  but  to  reach  their  souls,  he  must  also  be  to 
them  a  priest  and  a  prophet;  he  must  be  a  voice 
crying  in  the  wilderness, "  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the 
Lord." 

Yet,  to  return  to  the  figure  of  the  fisherman ;  the 
successful  angler  chooses  his  bait ;  he  studies  the 
tastes  and  the  habits  of  his  game;  he  angles  for 
them  with  their  kind  of  bait,  not  his  own. 

Herein  lies  the  secret  of  the  wonderful  success  of 
the  Chicago  Boys'  Club.  It  has  neither  gone  at  its 
work  in  the  merely  sociological  way  of  the  settle- 
ment, nor  in  the  piously  haphazard  way  of  the  ordi- 
nary mission.  It  has  studied  its  game ;  it  has  learned 
to  fish  by  fishing,  and  has,  as  its  motto  states: 
"  Learned  to  do  by  doing." 


The  Plan  of  Attack  67 

As  the  superintendent  often  says  to  his  workers : 
"  The  scheme  of  this  work  came  down  from  the  skies. 
The  Father  gave  us  the  plan  and  set  for  you  and  me 
the  task  of  working  it  out." 

"  Industrial  training  is  the  key  that  is  to  unlock  the 
street  boy  problem."  This  is  the  thought  that  came, 
like  an  inspiration,  to  the  superintendent  at  the  first, 
and  this  is  the  key  that  has  been  unlocking  the  secrets 
of  street-boy  hearts  and  the  problems  of  their  lives 
ever  since. 

Industrial  training,  however,  is  not  considered  here, 
as  in  most  of  the  settlements,  as  a  thing  in  itself,  as 
work  for  work's  sake,  or  even  as  work  as  an  educa- 
tive process.  It  is  rather  systematic  work  and  or- 
ganized play  as  a  means  to  an  end,  as  affording  a 
point  of  contact,  an  entering  wedge  or  a  key  into 
the  closed  heart  of  the  interesting  being  we  call  a 
boy. 

One  of  the  hobbies  of  Professor  Bronson,  the  Vice 
President  of  the  Club,  is  "  The  Point  of  Social  Con- 
tact." "  We  cannot  all  be  great  preachers,  but  it  is 
open  to  any  of  us  to  be  a  great  friend.  You  can- 
not," he  says, "  arrest  a  sinner  as  a  policeman  arrests  a 
criminal  on  the  street.  You  must  make  social  con- 
tact with  him.  Jesus  did  and  we  must."  His  con- 
stant contention  is :  "  Study  your  man — tie  on  to 
something  in  his  life — not  yours."  To  "  know  your 
man,"  as  Professor  Bronson  says,  that  is  the  first  need. 

Boys,  like  fish,  must  be  studied ;  their  habits,  their 
tastes,  and  their  peculiarities  must  be  ascertained. 
Like  fish  also,  different  classes  of  boys  have  different 


V*  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

jnnds  of  tastes  and  must  be  angled  for  with  different 
kinds  of  bait.  A  sleepy  catfish  can  be  caught  with 
an  ordinary  worm  and  a  stationary  line ;  but  a  gamey 
trout  must  have  a  brilliantly  coloured  fly  and  a  skill- 
fully managed  line.  The  ordinary  boy  from  a  good 
home  may  be  won  through  the  Sunday-school  and 
the  ordinary  channels  of  the  church ;  but  a  wild,  reck- 
less boy  of  the  street  can  no  more  be  won  by  these 
("tame"  as  he  calls  them)  methods  than  a  wild 
mountain  trout  can  be  caught  with  hook  and  line. 

It  is  true  of  the  boy  also,  as  experienced  sports- 
men often  find  with  fish,  that  each  one  has  an  in- 
dividuality, and  must  be  handled  somewhat  differ- 
ently. Every  boy  is  a  conundrum.  The  problem  of 
his  life,  and  how  to  get  into  it,  is  a  difficult  one.  It 
is  a  problem  requiring  patience — sometimes  almost 
infinite  patience.  Like  a  good  fisherman,  the  worker 
among  boys  is  never  in  a  hurry,  is  not  impatient  at 
slow  results.  He  knows  instinctively  and  by  experi- 
ence that  if  he  but  be  quiet,  and  wait  till  his  game  is 
in  the  proper  humour,  by  and  by  he  will  land  a  "  nice 
one." 

And,  be  it  said  here,  the  true  friend  of  the  boy  is 
one  who  is  "  fishin'  after  'im."  He  is  not  simply  toss- 
ing him  crumbs  of  amusement  and  bits  of  informa- 
tion. He  is  not  simply  playing  at  fishing ;  but  he  is 
determined  to  land  his  game.  Yet,  as  in  fishing, 
cautiousness  and  stealth  is  the  true  method.  The 
bait  must  be  kept  prominent  while  the  hook  is  con- 
cealed. 

Every  normal  child,  and  especially  the  child  of  the 


The  Plan  of  Attack  69 

street,  who  lives  most  like  the  savage,  hates  formality 
and  is  a  quick  detecter  of  all  forms  of  cant  and  hypoc- 
risy. 

Every  child,  if  he  is  to  be  really  won  and  lastingly 
held,  must  be  won  by  stealth ;  he  must  be  cap- 
tured on  his  own  ground ;  the  hook  must  be  in  his 
mouth  (or  rather  the  seed  of  love  must  be  in  his 
heart)  before  he  even  suspects  that  one  is  trying  to 
capture  him. 

A  real  boy  hates  and  shuns  all  direct  methods, 
and  he  will  resent  every  avowed  effort  to  do  him 
good.  If  this  is  so,  we  may  well  ask,  how  then  can 
he  be  helped  ?  The  answer  is  simple.  He  is  to  be 
won  through  his  amusements.  We  are  to  seem  to 
him  to  be  simply  one  who  desires  to  please  and 
amuse  him,  and  our  hold  upon  him  will  certainly  be 
the  stronger  if  we  can  at  the  same  time  seem  to  be 
ourselves  as  much  interested  in  the  game  or  workshop 
as  is  the  boy  himself. 

But,  it  must  be  considered,  boys'  interests  are 
varied,  and  no  two  boys  are  interested  in  exactly  the 
same  thing  in  exactly  the  same  way.  Some  boys 
find  their  chief  interest  in  baseball  and  other  athletic 
sports  ;  others,  entirely  indifferent  to  these  things,  are 
interested  in  art  or  literature ;  while  others  find  their 
chief  pleasure  in  the  study  of  animals  or  in  the  use 
of  tools  and  machinery.  It  is  clear  that  the  boy  can 
only  be  won  by  interesting  ourselves  in  a  whole- 
souled,  chummy  way  in  the  thing  which  interests 
the  boy.  So,  happy  is  the  man  who  is  so  versatile 
that  he  can  himself  find  pleasure  in  any  of  these 


70  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

things  without  assuming  any  feigned  attachment 
for  it. 

The  boy  must  by  all  means  be  led  to  believe  that 
you  are  in  the  thing  mainly,  if  not  solely,  for  the 
pleasure  of  it,  as  well  as  he ;  that  you  are  a  boy  with 
him,  a  companion  and  a  chum. 

Under  these  conditions  and  in  such  a  spirit,  one  can 
do  about  as  he  pleases  with  the  boy  with  whom  he  is 
playing — his  influence  is  only  limited  by  the  measure 
and  the  strength  of  his  personality. 

It  is  evident  to  all  who  study  boys  that  each  one 
has  some  talent,  some  sure  point  of  contact,  some  key 
into  his  hidden  inner  life,  if  one  has  but  the  tact  and 
patience  to  find  it. 

The  effort  must  be  to  furnish  each  boy  with  the 
thing  to  do  that  he  likes  best ;  that  which  he  was 
made  to  do,  and  to  put  each  boy  under  a  teacher  who 
is  himself  especially  interested  and  thoroughly  posted 
in  the  business  or  pleasure  which  most  interests  the 
boy,  and  to  let  the  two  work  out  their  talents  together. 

At  this  point,  there  is  something  to  be  noticed  of 
the  greatest  importance :  it  is  that  the  leader  should 
keep  forever  first  his  influence  upon  the  real  life  and 
character  of  the  boy  while  the  games  and  workshops 
are  viewed  mainly  as  a  point  of  contact,  a  pretext  for 
a  friendship,  a  means  to  a  definite  end.  Through 
this  natural  friendship,  if  rightly  used,  the  worker 
can  reach  the  boy  at  almost  any  point  for  his  good. 

"  Not  charity,  but  a  friend  "  is  what  the  wild  boy 
of  the  street  wants  and  most  needs.  Rev.  Wm.  Byron 
Forbush,  author  of  "  The  Boy  Problem,"  has  said : 


A  Group  of  Boot-Blacks  Absorbed  in  a  Crap  Game 


Sleep-Outs 


The  Plan  of  Attack  7 1 

"  It  must  be  recognized  that  our  unnatural  city  life  is 
producing  a  type  of  boy,  in  large  numbers,  who  is 
homeless  in  the  sense  that  his  home  is  too  dreary  for 
an  evening  shelter  or  that  he  is  too  restless  to  remain 
in  it,  who  is  too  sensational  in  his  tastes  to  be  reached 
at  present  by  the  evening  school,  and  who  is  not 
easily  corraled  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  church  or  the 
social  settlement.  This  kind  of  boy  goes  to  the 
street  boys'  club.  There  he  finds  shelter,  amusement, 
opportunity,  encouragement,  and  best  of  all — a 
friend."  A  friend — that  is  the  thing  for  which  the 
boy's  tender,  human  heart  is  yearning,  and  for  the 
lack  of  which  he  often  turns  himself  into  something 
more  like  a  fiend.  A  friend  he  needs,  somebody  who 
cares.  "  Don't  nobody  care  nothin'  'bout  me,  so  I 
ain't  goin'  to  care  nothin'  'bout  nobody  else,"  are  the 
words  which  one  of  these  hunted  street  boys  was 
heard  to  say,  and  these  words  bear  more  deep  sig- 
nificance than  lies  on  the  surface. 

A  friend  he  needs ;  some  one  who  cares  whether 
he  is  living  or  dead,  whether  he  is  good  or  bad ; 
some  one  to  help  him  when  he  is  tempted  to  evil,  to 
encourage  him  when  he  seeks  to  do  good,  to  be 
proud  of  him  when  he  has  done  a  manly  deed.  He 
needs  some  one  before  whose  eyes  he  will  be 
ashamed  to  come  if  he  has  done  wrong,  and  before 
whom  he  will  be  proud  to  appear  if  he  has  done  the 
smallest  good. 

Says  Mr.  Oscar  L.  Dudley,  after  long  years  of 
experience  with  neglected  boys  at  the  Illinois  Manual 
Training  School  Farm :  "  The  good  nature  in  the 


y  2  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

street  boy,  as  in  other  boys,  predominates  over  the 
bad,  if  it  is  given  an  opportunity,"  and  if  the  bad 
most  often  comes  to  the  surface,  the  cause  is  usually 
traceable  to  the  fact  that  the  boy  has  been  kicked 
about,  misunderstood  and  cruelly  treated  by  a 'drunken 
parent  or  guardian,  driven  from  corner  to  alley  by 
the  policemen  and  hounded  from  left  to  right  until 
he  raises  his  hand  "  agin  "  everybody  because  he  feels 
that  everybody's  hand  is  raised  "  agin  "  him. 

The  ordinary  street  waif  has  been  hounded  and 
beaten,  and  kicked  and  mistreated  so  long  that  he 
has  become  shy  and  suspicious  of  everybody.  When 
such  a  boy  first  bashfully  enters  the  rooms  of  a  boys' 
club,  he  looks  about  with  a  quizzical  eye,  wondering 
what  game  is  to  be  worked  upon  him  now,  or  what 
trap  is  laid  for  him.  To  break  this  reserve  and  to 
win  his  confidence  is  the  first  effort 

For  this  purpose  the  game  room  provides  the  sim- 
plest and  most  natural  way  imaginable. 

Schiller  once  said :  "  Man  is  wholly  man  only 
when  he  plays."  At  other  times,  he  is  a  mixture 
of  conventionalities.  In  play,  he  throws  off  his  mask 
and  shows  himself  as  he  really  is.  This  is  especially 
true  of  children.  A  boy  is  never  more  himself  than 
when  at  play.  Then  he  is  off  his  guard ;  then  he  is 
in  his  natural  savage  state ;  then  one  can  study  him 
as  he  is.  Games  and  athletics  afford  a  "  point  of 
contact,"  which  with  many,  could  be  gotten  in  no 
other  way. 

"  Play  "  says  Miss  Lombroso,  "  is  for  the  child  an 
occupation  as  serious  and  as  important  as  study  and 


The  Plan  of  Attack  73 

work  are  to  the  adult ;  he  needs  to  play  just  as  the 
silk  worm  needs  continually  to  eat  leaves." 

Mr.  Chamberlain,  author  of  "  The  Child,"  has  said : 
"  The  first  necessity  for  the  proper  exercise  of  the 
play  instinct  in  a  child  is  a  maximum  of  child-activity 
with  a  minimum  of  adult  interference."  Yet,  it  is 
evident,  that  in  most  cases  the  bad  boy  is  bad  simply 
because  he  has  had  no  "  adult  interference "  in  his 
amusements ;  because  he  has  had  no  guide,  no  one 
to  check  his  evil  impulses  and  to  encourage  his  good 
tendencies. 

Chas.  Stelzle  has  said :  "  When  you  open  one  door 
of  enjoyment  and  healthy  pleasure,  you  have  closed 
a  dozen  avenues  to  sin  and  shame." 

Again,  Judge  Lindsey  of  Denver  says  :  "  It  is  as 
natural  for  a  boy  or  girl  to  want  joy  or  fun  as  it  is  to 
be  hungry.  It  is  just  as  important  to  satisfy  one  as 
the  other.  If  either  be  satisfied  unlawfully,  it  must 
be  corrected."  So  play  is  necessarily  an  important 
part  of  this  work ;  but  it  is  made  educative.  It  is 
kept  under  control  and  wisely  directed. 

It  is  of  immense  value  to  the  friendless,  unloved 
street  boy  to  feel  that  some  one  is  interested  in  see- 
ing that  he  has  a  good  time.  When  it  first  dawns 
upon  the  boy,  as  a  newcomer,  that  the  Boy's  Club  is 
a  place  prepared  expressly  that  he  may  have  fun  and 
be  happy,  and  when  he  realizes  that  all  these  good 
things  are  really  for  him,  then  the  soft  place  in  his 
heart  which  has  long  been  hidden  from  sight,  begins 
to  disclose  itself.  Then  he  loses  a  little  of  his  reserve. 
When  he  begins  to  see  that  there  is  somebody  in  the 


74  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

world  who  really  cares  for  him — not  only  for  his  soul 
— but  for  him  ;  that  rejoices  to  see  him  happy ; 
when  he  sees  by  looking  around,  that  the  other  boys 
are  being  loved,  he  begins  to  want  some  of  it  for 
himself,  although  it  often  takes  long  for  it  to  really 
get  through  his  head  that  any  one  could  ever  love 
him.  By  and  by,  however,  he  submits  to  be  petted, 
and  often  the  little  dirty,  hungry-faced  children 
come  up  beside  a  worker,  cuddle  up  against  him, 
as  a  cat  rubs  against  her  mistress,  and  wait  to  be 
petted. 

Thus,  the  games  and  play-rooms  are  the  means  of 
"  breaking  the  ice,"  of  getting  acquainted,  of  first 
showing  these  waifs,  starving  for  love  as  they  are, 
that  here  they  can  be  satisfied. 

The  play-method  pervades  the  whole  work.  The 
boy  is  not  forced  into  anything.  He  is  soon  led  on 
to  see  that  there  is  just  as  much  or  more  fun  to  be 
had  in  the  carpentershop  as  in  the  play-room.  A 
boy  likes  to  make  things.  The  work,  although  it  is 
work  of  the  hardest  kind,  is  presented  to  him  as  play. 
So  it  comes  about  that  before  he  knows  it,  and  while 
he  is  still  "  playing,"  he  has  begun  to  learn  a  trade, 
he  has  become  of  some  use,  a  germ  of  ambition  has 
been  aroused ;  he  feels  that  he  belongs  somewhere  in 
the  great  plan  of  the  universe.  He  is  allowed  to 
gravitate  naturally  into  the  line  of  work  for  which  he 
is  best  adapted.  When  he  has  found  his  work,  he 
usually  goes  at  it  with  all  his  heart.  It  is  play  to  him 
just  as  much  as  smashing  window  panes  and  annoy- 
ing the  police  was  his  play  before,  only  he  has  found 


The  Plan  of  Attack  7$ 

a  more  lawful,  and  as  long  as  he  is  at  it,  a  more  inter- 
esting game. 

Jacob  Riis  somewhere  observes :  "  It  isn't  for  his 
badness  that  the  boy  admires  the  tough,  but  for  the 
real  heroic  stuff  that  is  in  him,  for  his  courage,  his 
resourcefulness,  his  daring.  Give  these  qualities  their 
legitimate  means  of  expression  in  hard  organized 
play  and  burglary  will  be  abandoned  as  an  inferior 
form  of  sport." 

This  fact  has  been  proven  true  in  one  instance  at 
least.  An  Italian  boy,  named  Tony,  was  the  ring- 
leader of  one  of  the  tough,  property-destroying 
"  gangs  "  which  exist  in  great  numbers  in  the  down- 
town district  of  Chicago.  He  and  his  "  gang  "  were 
early  members  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club.  As  would 
be  expected,  this  gang  of  boys  from  time  to  time 
caused  much  trouble  to  the  disciplinarian  of  the  Club. 
Time  after  time,  Tony,  as  the  cause  of  the  disturb- 
ance, had  to  be  forcibly  (but  lovingly,  if  you  can 
imagine  the  paradox)  put  out  of  the  building.  This 
is  the  only  form  of  discipline  ever  used  in  this  place, 
and  it  is  a  most  effectual  one.  Every  time  Tony  was 
"  put  out "  he  went  into  a  rage,  threatening  to  tear  up 
the  whole  institution,  to  get  his  "  big  brudder  to  fix 
Mr.  Colaby,"  etc.  Each  time  he,  with  his  gang,  lay 
in  wait  for  the  worker  against  whom  he  was  offended 
and  pelted  him  with  missiles  as  he  walked  along  the 
street.  This,  however,  did  not  last  long,  until  Tony 
sent  one  of  his  young  retainers  as  an  ambassador  to 
ask  if  "  Tony  couldn't  come  up  to  de  Club." 

The  practice  has  always  been  to  keep  him  out 


76  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

until  he  saw  the  gravity  of  the  occasion,  and  saw  that 
it  was  "  up  to  him "  whether  he  should  remain  a 
member  or  not.  After  several  days  of  intercession, 
Tony  sent  his  young  scout  to  ask :  "  Mr.  Colaby, 
Tony  wants  to  see  you,  he  says  he'll  be  good." 
There  was  one  time  in  particular  when  Tony  had 
been  specially  "  bad  "  and  had  been  kept  out  faith- 
fully for  a  long  time,  that  Mr.  Colby,  the  boy's 
director,  finally  went  out,  and  putting  his  arms 
around  the  little  fellow  as  if  he  were  his  own  child, 
tenderly  forgave  him  and  allowed  him  to  come  back 
to  "  de  Club." 

This  time,  however,  as  special  help  to  his  good 
resolutions,  Tony  was  led  into  the  carpenter  shop 
and  there  put  on  duty  as  policeman.  The  little 
fellow  felt  that  he  was  being  relied  upon,  so  he  sta- 
tioned himself  at  his  bench  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
and  went  to  work  with  a  will.  The  device  worked, 
and  for  a  time  Tony  not  only  kept  himself  "  straight " 
but  saw  to  it  that  perfect  order  was  maintained  in  the 
entire  shop.  There  is  an  intense  manliness  in  these 
chaps,  which,  if  appealed  to  in  the  right  way,  will 
respond,  as  it  did  in  this  case. 

These  industrial  departments,  the  various  shops 
where  fifteen  or  twenty  boys  are  gathered  in  a  family 
circle  about  a  teacher,  form  a  most  valuable  point  of 
contact ;  they  enable  the  teacher  to  get  close  to  the 
boy  and  to  get  into  the  secrets  of  his  heart  as  he 
could  in  no  other  way.  Then,  there  is  the  "  Young 
Citizens'  Club."  It  has  a  dignified  name,  and  is  really 
accomplishing  a  dignified  end ;  but  it  is  practically 


The  Plan  of  Attack  77 

only  "  a  heart-to-heart  talk."  Here  where  from  a 
dozen  to  thirty  of  the  older  and  more  mature  boys  are 
gathered  all  to  themselves  in  a  quiet  room,  for  the 
purpose  of  self-improvement  and  under  the  direction 
of  a  wise  and  loving  leader,  there  is  business  being 
transacted  whose  results  will  be  known  only  in  eter- 
nity. These  boys  are  not  only  learning  to  think  and 
to  act  properly,  but  they  are  coming  under  the  im- 
press of  a  strong  personality;  they  are  coming  in 
touch  with  new  visions  of  life ;  they  are  learning  the 
true  value  of  citizenship,  and  more  than  all,  that  there 
is  a  place  in  the  world  for  each  of  them.  Another 
valuable  opportunity  and  opening  into  the  real  life  of 
the  boy  is  afforded  through  the  means  of  outdoor 
sports.  The  baseball  team  is  composed  of  a  "  mixed 
and  motley  mass,"  but  there  is  real  manly  stuff  in 
them,  nevertheless.  Its  membership  is  made  up  as 
follows :  two  negroes,  one  Jew,  one  Italian,  one 
Frenchman,  one  Scotchman,  two  Americans  and  one 
half-breed  Chinaman. 

These  are  all  boys  full  of  life,  of  bravado,  of  reck- 
lessness. It  is  difficult  to  pin  them  down  in  a  class- 
room, or  even  to  interest  them  in  shop-work ;  but 
they  are  interested  in  baseball,  and  with  the  baseball 
bait  they  must  be  captured. 

A  strong  Christian  man  takes  hold  of  the  team, 
organizes  it,  arranges  for  its  equipment  with  uniform 
and  outfit,  becomes  its  manager,  schedules  its  games, 
personally  conducts  the  boys  on  their  trips,  and  throws 
his  whole  heart  into  the  game.  He  gradually  wins 
the  respect,  the  confidence,  the  following  of  the  boys, 


78  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

and  becomes  their  champion  for  fair  play,  a  manly 
game  and  a  "  square  deal."  He  makes  himself  "  all 
things  to  all  men  that  he  may  by  all  means  win 
some." 

Again  an  invaluable  "  Point  of  Contact "  is  afforded 
through  summer  outings.  Every  summer  there  are 
a  large  number  of  boys  taken  for  an  outing  into  the 
country,  into  the  fresh  air  of  "  God's  out-of-doors." 
They  are  taken  out  in  groups,  each  group  remaining 
for  one  week.  They  are  taken  in  small  groups  be- 
cause the  purpose  is  not  simply  pleasure  and  an  out- 
ing, but  a  "  Point  of  Contact."  The  most  valuable 
work  is  not  done  "  en  masse,"  but  hand-in-hand  and 
heart-to-heart. 

The  boys  occupy  a  tent  and  live  together  like  a 
family.  The  leader  is,  for  the  time,  their  father  upon 
whom  they  are  entirely  dependent  for  their  food, 
their  pleasures,  their  protection,  and  their  guidance. 

He  has  an  opportunity  and  an  influence  over  them 
which  none  but  those  who  have  tried  it  can  estimate. 
He  lives  out  his  life  before  them,  the  best  there  is  in 
him  given  up  for  their  benefit. 

Although  he  does  not  spend  all  of  his  time  pray- 
ing or  "  talking  religion  "  to  them,  yet  there  is,  in 
camp,  a  time  to  pray  as  well  as  a  time  to  play,  and 
the  leader  can  pray  with  them  with  effect  when  it  is 
time  to  pray,  because  he  has  previously  played  with 
them  with  his  whole  heart  when  it  was  time  to 
play. 

As  an  example  of  this :  One  night,  when  the 
boys  were  all  gathered  about  a  sparkling  camp-fire, 


The  Plan  of  Attack  79 

after  the  usual  ghost-story  had  been  told,  the  fun  of 
the  evening  drifted  into  a  pillow  fight.  The  leader 
stood  by  as  referee  and  encouraged  the  boys  to  put 
in  their  best  licks  until  the  last  couple  had  dropped 
with  exhaustion ;  then  he,  himself,  grasped  a  straw 
pillow,  threw  one  to  a  young  man  visiting  the  camp, 
and  "  lit-in  "  to  the  fight  in  person.  Directly  after 
the  hilarity  of  the  evening  was  over,  it  being  bedtime, 
the  boys  retired  into  the  tent  and  a  season  of  the 
most  reverent  and  spiritual  prayer  followed  as  a 
natural  wind-up  of  the  day's  fun  and  the  evening's 
joyous  hilarity.  Although  in  camp,  very  little,  if 
any,  formal  preaching  is  done,  yet,  well-nigh  every 
occasion  furnishes  an  opportunity  for  a  practical  ser- 
mon. Usually,  however,  the  text  is  given  and  the 
conclusion  is  drawn  before  the  boys  begin  to  realize 
that  they  are  being  preached  unto.  Out  in  the 
woods,  under  God's  blue  sky,  enfolded  by  His  pure 
air,  and  surrounded  by  all  His  marvellous  creations, 
every  place  is  a  sanctuary,  and  every  bush  and  stone 
and  animal  is  the  source  of  a  text, — if  not  a  sermon 
in  itself.  Especially  when  gathered  around  the  even- 
ing camp-fire  the  boys  are  usually  in  a  devotional 
state  of  mind  and  in  an  earnest  and  receptive  mood 
for  truth  from  any  source — that  is,  provided  it  does 
not  come  in  stilted  phrases  and  formal  tones.  These 
boys,  above  all  things,  must  be  approached  naturally. 
No  moral  must  be  forced  upon  them  or  tacked  on  to 
anything.  It  must  seem  to  be  there  already  and  the 
leader  only  opens  their  eyes  to  see  that  it  is  there. 
For  instance,  one  time  the  boys  were  seated  around 


8o  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

an  evening  camp-fire.  It  was  time  for  stories.  In 
the  afternoon,  they  had  been  out  with  their  leader 
for  a  ramble  and  had  captured  some  small  frogs. 
While  seated  around  the  fire,  one  of  the  boys  wrapped 
an  innocent  looking  frog  in  paper,  and  cast  it  while 
still  alive,  into  the  blaze.  This  instantly  and  oppor- 
tunely suggested  the  story  of  the  persecution  of  the 
early  Christians,  and  at  the  end,  the  boys  (most  of 
them  Jews)  saw  with  very  little  explanation  that  the 
faith  that  would  inspire  men  to  suffer  such  things 
steadfastly  must  be  more  than  sham.  The  frog, 
however,  was  the  cause  and  the  occasion  of  the 
story,  and  its  influence  it  was  that  enforced  the 
lesson. 

On  another  occasion  when  it  had  been  raining  for 
several  days,  until  the  boys  had  become  dissatisfied 
and  almost  disheartened,  as  the  leader  knelt  to  pray 
at  night,  the  boys  thought  surely  if  his  prayers 
amount  to  anything  they  can  bring  us  a  good  day  to- 
morrow. So  the  leader  was  asked  to  pray  for  a  good 
day,  and  it  was  desired  that  he  pray  aloud  that  they 
might  see  that  the  thing  was  rightly  done  and  that 
there  was  no  pretending  about  it.  So  the  prayer  was 
said,  and  it  was  generally  taken  as  a  matter  of  course 
that  the  sun  would  rise  clear  and  fair  the  next  morn- 
ing. According  to  the  expectation  of  all,  the  day 
was  fair  and  the  boys  all  took  pride  in  telling  that 
the  bright  day  was  due  to  the  prayer  of  their  leader. 

The  boys,  at  camp,  soon  learn  to  correct  one  an- 
other for  swearing  and  for  other  evil  habits.  Every 
manly  sport  and  true  wholesome  amusement  is  en- 


The  Plan  of  Attack  8i 

couraged  among  them,  and  no  jolly,  jovial  prank  is 
ever  frowned  upon,  even  if  it  is  played  upon  the 
leader,  as  is  often  the  case.  No  effort  at  good, 
although  done,  as  often,  in  fun  and  with  a  half  mis- 
chievous intent,  is  ever  depreciated.  For  example, 
once  when  the  leader  was  late  to  a  meal,  and  the 
boys  were  hungry,  they  were  about  to  begin  with 
their  food  when  some  one  remembered  that  the  cus- 
tomary practice  of  "  saying  thanks  "  had  not  been 
observed.  At  this,  a  little  red-headed  shaver  called 
the  boys  to  silence  and  then  spoke  out  confidently : 
"  O  Lord,  we  t'ank  de  for  dis  grub,"  after  which  the 
meal  proceeded  with  the  usual  good  will. 

It  is  found  that  at  camp  there  is  seldom  any  oc- 
casion to  blame  or  to  rebuke  a  boy ;  his  mischief  is 
natural  and  for  the  most  part  wholesome.  If  it  be- 
comes vicious  and  is  harmful,  it  is  usually  the  fault  of 
the  leader  because  he  has  not  given  the  boy  some- 
thing good  to  do,  or  directed  his  energies  into  the 
right  channel. 

Discipline  is  maintained  in  camp  as  in  all  this 
work,  not  by  police  force  or  by  stringent  rules,  but 
by  love,  by  comradeship,  and  by  appealing  to  the 
manliness  and  the  sense  of  honour  which  all  street 
boys  possess  in  a  marked  degree. 

Yet  with  all  the  value  which  pertains  to  these  vari- 
ous things,  the  games,  the  industrial  departments,  the 
outdoor  sports,  and  the  summer  camps,  it  is  coming 
to  be  seen  more  and  more  by  the  managers  of  the 
Club  that  these  things  are  only  the  spokes  of  the 
wheel  and  revolve  around  the  central  axis,  the  really 


82  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

fundamental  thing,  which  is  the  public  evangelistic 
meeting. 

To  get  the  boys  into  this  meeting  and  under  the 
influence  of  strong,  wholesome  men,  is,  and  has  been 
from  the  first,  the  ultimate  aim  of  all  the  Club's 
efforts.  Without  these  other  things,  the  effort  to 
preach  the  word  would  be  almost  futile ;  it  would  be 
like  the  wheel  without  the  spokes,  unstable  and  un- 
serviceable ;  but  with  these,  it  is,  as  it  always  has  been, 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

In  the  following  chapter  the  method  and  the  results 
of  this  religious  work  will  be  more  fully  explained 
than  space  here  allows. 


"  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from 
the  earth,  will  draw  all  men 
unto  Me." — Jesus. 

V 
RELIGIOUS  WORK  WITH  STREET  WAIFS 

As  much  has  been  said  in  the  foregoing  chapters 
about  the  necessity  of  providing  for  the  needs  of  the 
boy's  spiritual  nature,  it  is  only  fitting  that  a  separate 
chapter  be  devoted  to  explaining  more  in  detail  how 
religious  work  is  done  at  this  institution.  For  six 
years,  the  officers  of  the  Boys'  Club  of  Chicago  have 
been  trying  to  solve  the  problem  of  how  to  do  relig- 
ious work  among  street  waifs. 

The  superintendent  of  the  Club  undertook,  from 
the  first,  to  prove,  both  to  himself  and  to  the  public, 
that  a  street  waif  has  a  soul  which  can  be  reached 
with  religious  influences.  How  to  accomplish  this, 
however,  was  for  some  time,  a  matter  of  experimenta- 
tion, and  often  of  blundering  failure.  But  now, 
within  the  last  two  years,  the  problem  has  been  prac- 
tically solved,  and  the  proof  that  it  can  be  done  is 
demonstrated.  In  the  early  years  of  the  work,  pub- 
lic meetings  were  held  for  the  boys ;  but  at  that  time, 
discipline  and  reverence  were  things  to  them  un- 
known. For  a  long  time  it  was  necessary  to  have 
one  adult  worker  to  guard  every  six  boys  in  the 
audience  room  and  even  with  this  precaution,  pande- 
monium often  reigned. 

At  one  time,  a  young  preacher  volunteered  to  con- 
83 


84  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

duct  religious  meetings  with  the  boys.  On  the  first 
evening,  after  the  preliminary  songs,  the  good  brother 
rose  to  speak.  As  he  halted  for  a  moment,  seeking 
for  the  proper  word  with  which  to  begin,  a  little  voice 
piped  up  from  the  rear  of  the  room  :  "  Oh !  de  guy 
forgot  his  speech  !  "  At  this  a  burst  of  boisterous 
laughter  arose  and  then  general  confusion  followed. 
While  the  disconcerted  leader  was  trying  to  regain 
order,  the  boys  arose  in  a  body  and  stumbled  noisily 
out  of  the  room.  This  brother  soon  decided  that  he 
had  missed  his  calling. 

At  another  time,  a  student  from  one  of  the  Bible 
schools  of  Chicago  was  undertaking  to  instruct  the 
boys  in  spiritual  truths.  His  subject  for  the  first  even- 
ing was  Conversion.  After  he  had  finished  his  speech 
(all  of  which  was  unintelligible  to  the  untutored 
minds  of  his  audience)  he  asked  for  every  boy  who 
wanted  to  have  a  "  new  heart "  to  raise  his  hand.  In 
an  instant  every  hand  in  the  house  was  raised.  The 
leader,  seeing  that  they  did  not  comprehend,  pro- 
ceeded still  further  to  explain  what  he  meant  by  a 
new  heart.  This  time  he  said  in  solemn  tones : 
"  Now,  boys,  if  there  are  any  of  you  who  really  mean  it 
and  who  really  want  to  have  Jesus  take  away  your  sins, 
I  want  you  to  come  up  here  while  we  sing  and  kneel 
down  by  these  chairs."  As  the  song  began,  one  lit- 
tle ragged  chap  pushed  his  way  out  from  the  middle 
of  a  row  of  seats  and  shuffled  towards  the  front.  He 
was  followed  by  another  and  then  by  another.  In  a 
moment  they  began  to  come  by  platoons.  Soon 
there  was  a  stampede.  The  little  fellows  actually 


Religious  Work  with  Street  Waifs      85 

piled  on  top  of  one  another  there  about  the  platform 
until  they  were  three  and  four  deep.  Then  the 
preacher,  eager  to  make  sure  that  there  was  one  in- 
telligent boy  among  them,  again  counselled  them  in 
the  simplest  language  he  could  devise,  concerning  the 
seriousness  of  the  step  they  were  taking.  This  time 
he  asked  the  boy  who  really  meant  to  "  be  a  Christian  " 
to  go  over  and  kneel  in  the  corner.  Of  course  they 
all  wanted  to  be  Christians  (whatever  that  word 
meant,  none  of  them  knew)  so  to  the  leader's  amaze- 
ment and  chagrin,  the  boys  all  untangled  themselves 
from  the  pile  they  had  made  before  the  platform  and 
followed  one  another,  like  dumb  sheep,  to  the  corner. 
Here  they  piled  up  again,  a  squirming,  struggling 
mass  of  humanity.  The  sight  was  both  ludicrous 
and  pitiable.  The  young  man  who  led  this  meeting 
soon  decided  that,  although  he  was  called  to  preach, 
his  mission  surely  was  not  to  street  waifs. 

Although  these  early  experiments  were  discourag- 
ing to  the  individuals  who  participated  in  them,  they 
did  not  disprove  the  possibility  of  giving  religious 
training  to  street  boys.  As  those  who  were  daily 
working  with  the  boys  in  the  play-rooms  and  the 
workshops  of  the  Club  became  better  acquainted 
with  them,  it  came  to  be  seen  that  they  could  easily 
lodge  many  a  truth  in  their  hearts  while  in  personal 
contact  with  them  as  no  stranger  would  be  able  to  do. 
Finally  one  of  these  who  were  actually  working  with 
the  boys  undertook  himself,  to  conduct  an  open  relig- 
ious meeting  with  them.  In  this  meeting  it  was 
found  that  the  audience  was  much  more  quiet  and 


86  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

respectful  than  usual  and  that  they  listened  very  at- 
tentively to  what  was  said.  This  change  of  attitude 
on  the  part  of  the  boys  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
leader  of  the  meeting  knew  them  and  understood 
their  minds  and  their  needs,  and  that  the  boys  knew 
and  understood  him.  They  were  on  a  common  level 
and  could  speak  a  common  language. 

So  the  secret  of  success  in  religious  work  with 
street  boys  was  found  in  first  getting  close  to  them  in 
every-day  life,  and  becoming  acquainted  with  their 
thoughts  and  lives.  For  two  years  the  same  man 
who  has  had  charge  over  the  boys  in  the  play-rooms 
and  industrial  classes,  also  has  had  charge  over  them 
in  the  religious  meeting.  He,  by  virtue  of  his  ac- 
quaintance with  them  individually,  and  his  knowledge 
of  their  needs,  can  reach  them  religiously  as  no  out- 
sider can. 

Most  boys'  club  workers  throughout  the  country 
claim  that  if  they  should  mention  religious  subjects 
to  their  members,  it  would  scare  them  away.  But 
the  fact  has  been  proven  that  boys  are  predisposed  to 
listen  to  religious  instruction  as  presented  by  those 
who  have  come  into  daily  touch  with  them  in  the 
boys'  club  as  they  would  to  no  one  else.  "  It  seems 
to  me,"  says  Charles  Stelzle,  "  that  instead  of  the 
boys'  club  being  an  organization  from  which  religion 
must  be  debarred,  it  really  presents  one  of  the  finest 
opportunities  for  such  work."  In  fact,  there  is  no 
better  (I  could  almost  say,  no  other)  way  to  reach 
the  street  boy  religiously  than  by  first  gaining  a 
"  point  of  contact  "  with  him  through  the  medium  of 


Religious  Work  with  Street  Waifs      87 

play  and  work.  This  practice  of  playing  or  working 
with  the  boy  through  the  week,  preempts  the  leader 
from  becoming  scholastic,  pedantic  and  "  high-fau- 
looting "  in  his  dealings  with  him  on  Sunday.  It 
brings  the  boy  and  his  teacher  into  natural  relations, 
and  religious  work  with  street  boys  can  only  be  done 
naturally.  The  essential  thing  is  that  it  be  done  in 
the  right  way  and  by  the  right  person. 

The  wonderful  success  which  this  institution  has 
achieved  along  this  line  is  due  to  several  causes. 

1.  The  board   of  directors,   the   managers,  the 
individual  workers  and  all  who  are  connected  with 
it,  are  men  of  religious   profession   and  of  godly 
life. 

2.  All  of  the  various  activities  of  the  institution 
are  made  to  centre  about  this  one  object.     The  goal 
towards  which  all  of  the  efforts  of  the  workers  tend 
is  to  prepare  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  boys  and 
girls  so  that  they  are  open  to  moral  and  spiritual  in- 
fluences.    Upon  this  one  thing  are  centred  all  the 
prayers,   the   consecrated  tact   and  the  faithful  en- 
deavour of  all  the  workers.     All  the  games,  the  en- 
tertainments, the  industrial  classes,  the  summer  out- 
ings, and  the  heart-to-heart  talks,  are  just  a  means  to 
this  end. 

3.  The   man   who   has  charge   of  the   religious 
meetings,  understands,  as  few  men  do,  how  to  make 
spiritual   things   interesting  and  attractive  to  street 
waifs.     He  is  not  afraid  of  using  unusual  methods. 
He  does  not  adhere  always  to  the  regular  Methodist 
"  order  of  worship."     He  realizes  that  he  is  dealing 


88  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

with  live,  mischievous,  flesh-and-blood  human  beings. 
He  does  not  conduct  an  ordinary  pious,  sleepy  prayer- 
meeting  and  expect  these  little  "  hooligans  "  of  the 
street  to  come  to  it.  No,  he  has  "  something  doing." 
He  makes  the  meetings  so  interesting  and  so  satisfy- 
ing to  the  little  hungry-hearted  street  waifs  that  they 
had  rather  go  to  them  than  to  all  the  gaudy  shows 
and  corrupting  entertainments  the  street  can  offer 
them. 

4.  The  meetings  are  made  informal  and  the  pro- 
gram is  elastic.  It  is  not  meant  to  be  a  meeting  for 
boys;  but  rather  a  meeting  with  boys.  They  are 
given  to  feel  that  it  is  their  meeting  and  that  its 
success  depends  upon  their  efforts.  To  this  intent, 
various  plans  are  devised  by  which  the  boys  are  kept 
busy.  At  one  time  they  were  organized  according 
to  the  order  of  the  Knights  of  King  Arthur.  The 
older  boys  were  called  knights,  the  boys  of  inter- 
mediate age  were  called  esquires,  and  the  younger 
ones  were  called  pages.  Over  them  all  was  their 
king,  who  presided  over  the  meetings.  Each  of  the 
three  orders  had  their  captains,  who  were  made  re- 
sponsible for  the  attendance  and  the  behaviour  of 
their  respective  companies.  Each  order  had  its  dis- 
tinguishing badges  and  regalia,  and  occupied  its  re- 
served portion  of  the  Assembly  Hall.  Every  boy  of 
each  order  was  supposed  to  be  there  on  meeting 
night  to  occupy  his  assigned  place.  This  plan  proved, 
for  a  time,  to  be  a  strong  drawing  card  to  the  boys 
and  also  a  valuable  means  of  influencing  them  for 
good.  But,  like  most  good  things,  it  gradually  lost 


Religious  Work  with  Street  Waifs      89 

its  attractiveness   and  had  to  be  replaced  by  some- 
thing else. 

At  another  time,  two  of  the  most  popular  and  in- 
fluential of  the  boys  were  started  upon  a  contest  to  see 
which  one  could  induce  the  most  of  his  friends  to  at- 
tend the  meeting  on  a  certain  evening.  For  days 
before  the  appointed  time,  both  of  these  boys  scoured 
the  streets  inviting  boys  of  all  classes  and  colours  to 
come  to  that  meeting  and  labelling  them  with  the 
coloured  ribbon  representing  their  respective  sides. 
When  the  contest  was  over,  the  winning  side  gave  a 
banquet  to  the  losers,  and  paid  for  with  their  own 
earnings. 

At  other  times  the  boys  are  allowed  to  take  part  in 
the  meetings.  Often  they  volunteer  to  stand  and  tell 
the  other  boys  their  experiences  or  deliver  their 
quaint  precepts.  Once  a  boy  who  had  for  some 
time  lived  the  life  of  a  tramp  and  a  vagabond,  told 
the  boys  in  primitive,  slangy  phrases,  but  in  intensely 
earnest  tones,  of  some  of  his  hair-breadth  escapes  in 
riding  on  the  rods  underneath  the  freight  trains  and 
under  the  step  of  passenger  coaches.  He  concluded 
his  address  with  these  words :  "  Youse  guys  don't 
never  want  to  do  dat ! "  That  boy  is  now  one  of 
the  Club's  best  members. 

5.  Music  is  made  a  large  feature  in  the  meetings. 
Not  only  does  outside  talent  of  various  kinds  and 
from  various  sources  often  furnish  a  musical  treat  for 
the  boys,  but  the  boys  also  furnish  musicians  for  the 
evening  from  among  their  own  number.  For  several 
months  a  Jewish  boy  led  the  singing  in  the  religious 


90  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

meetings  of  the  Club  and  sang  with  a  feeling  which 
was  pathetic  as  well  as  with  a  voice  which  was  clear 
and  strong.  This  boy  also  sang  as  solos,  gospel 
songs  which  touch  the  heart  because  the  sentiment 
of  the  song  came  from  the  depths  of  the  singer's 
heart  and  from  the  promptings  of  his  new  religious 
experience.  There  is  a  trio  of  boys  who  sing  oc- 
casionally in  these  meetings.  One  of  them  is  a  Jew, 
one  an  Italian,  and  the  third  an  Assyrian.  So  the 
boys  like  to  go  to  the  meetings  in  order  to  hear 
"  de  guys  sing,"  as  they  express  it.  And  the  con- 
gregational singing  where  all  join  in — that  is  sing- 
ing, indeed;  not  perfectly  harmonious,  it  is  true, 
but  the  noisy,  ringing,  heart-warming  kind  such  as 
only  those  can  know  who  have  heard  a  crowd 
of  street  waifs  sing.  Then,  the  singing  is  often 
interchanged  with  whistling.  Sometimes  the  leader 
calls  for  those  on  one  side  of  the  house  to  sing  while 
the  others  whistle,  then  for  those  on  this  side  to 
whistle  while  the  others  sing,  and  then  for  all  to- 
gether to  whistle  the  air,  thus  arousing  an  interest 
which  appeals  to  the  boy  nature  in  a  boy  as  nothing 
else  can. 

6.  In  almost  every  meeting  there  is  some  one 
present  to  make  a  talk.  These  speeches  are  not  pious 
platitudes,  but  live,  manly,  gospel  talks,  short  and 
straight  to  the  point,  by  men  who  love  boys  and  who 
understand  boy  nature.  They  are  not  addresses  on 
theological  subjects,  but  plain,  simple  talks  on  mat- 
ters which  pertain  to  the  every-day  life  of  the  boy. 
Sometimes,  instead  of  an  ordinary  talk,  some  one  is 


Religious  Work  with  Street  Waifs      91 

present  to  give  a  lecture  illustrated  by  stereopticon  or 
crayon.  These  are  always  interesting  and  are  often 
made  to  tell  very  powerfully  upon  the  lives  of  the 
boys.  These  talks,  however,  let  it  be  said,  are  of  a 
unique  character  as  applied  to  boys'  club  work. 
They  are  not  talks  on  ethics,  or  natural  history,  or 
politics,  or  how-to-get-rich ;  but  talks  that  stir  the 
heart,  that  rouse  the  moral  nature  and  that  present 
to  the  boys,  in  unmistakable  terms,  the  Saviour  of 
the  world. 

7.  All  the  above  named  influences  have  their 
part  in  producing  the  success  of  the  religious  meet- 
ings ;  but  there  is  still  another  cause  which  is  more 
effectual  than  all  the  rest.  This  cause  is  one  that 
lies  deeper  than  all  outward  influences.  Still,  it  is  no 
new  thing.  It  does  not  represent  a  modern  fad.  It 
is  as  old  as  the  human  race.  The  fact  is  too  often 
overlooked  that  a  waif  of  the  street  although  he  is 
outwardly  repulsive  and  unkempt,  wicked  and  seem- 
ingly hardened,  is  still  a  human  being.  He  has  a 
throbbing,  yearning,  hungering  heart  underneath  his 
dirt  and  his  rags,  and  he  yearns,  as  do  all  of  the 
human  race,  for  the  good  and  the  true.  He  does 
not  go  to  the  religious  meeting  because  he  con- 
sciously desires  to  be  made  good ;  but  because  there 
he  is  thrown  into  the  warmth  and  the  cheer  and  the 
soul-satisfaction  of  a  Christian  atmosphere.  There 
religion  is  presented  as  a  natural  thing.  The  prayer 
and  the  faith  of  a  child — even  of  an  "  alley  rat " — is 
considered  most  natural  and  most  precious.  The 
customary  practice  at  these  meetings  is  not  for  the 


92  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

leader  to  pray  for  the  boys,  as  if  God  would  only 
hear  him  on  their  behalf;  it  is  rather  to  pray  with  the 
boys,  for  their  prayers  are  surely  as  precious  in  God's 
sight  as  are  any  of  his.  In  the  prayer  that  is  offered 
during  every  meeting,  the  boys  are  taught  that  it  is 
they  who  are  praying,  that  it  is  their  prayer ;  and  in 
most  of  their  minds  there  isn't  the  shadow  of  a  doubt 
but  that  God  hears  and  answers  their  prayer.  This, 
I  believe,  is  the  secret  of  their  eager  attendance  upon 
these  meetings.  It  is  said  of  Christ  that  the  common 
people  heard  Him  gladly.  This  was  true  because  He 
made  Himself  one  of  them  and  appealed  to  their 
hungry  hearts  with  a  genuine  message  of  hope  and 
love.  The  boys  go  to  these  religious  meetings  and 
go  eagerly  because  the  message  they  receive  does 
not  repel  them  with  its  austerity,  but  draws  them  by 
the  naturalness  of  its  appeal  and  the  sincerity  of  its 
presentation. 

It  is  strange,  but  true,  that  these  boys,  Jews  and 
Roman  Catholics  though  they  be,  will  go  more 
eagerly  and  more  persistently  to  a  place  where  they 
are  told  squarely  and  plainly  [about  moral  and  spir- 
itual things  than  they  will  to  a  meeting  where  the 
truth  is  compromised  and  religious  matters  are 
avoided.  The  theory  is  entirely  false  which  states 
that  people  of  foreign  belief  from  ours  will  flee  from 
religious  instruction.  They  flee  from  cant  and  pre- 
sumption and  professionalism,  but  they  are  drawn  to- 
wards sincerity,  truth  and  genuine  love  as  a  thirsty 
deer  is  drawn  irresistibly  towards  the  brook. 

In   order  to   experiment   along  this  line,  the  re- 


Religious  Work  with  Street  Waifs      93 

ligious  director  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  once  set 
aside  two  evenings  each  week  for  public  meetings 
with  the  boys.  In  the  meetings  which  were  held  on 
Tuesday  evenings,  he  gave  the  boys  to  understand 
that  here  nothing  but  pure  entertainment  and  secular 
instruction  would  be  allowed.  The  talks  and  accom- 
panying exercises  were  to  be  wholesome  and  morally 
uplifting  in  their  nature  but  no  teaching  that  was 
directly  religious  would  be  presented. 

Concerning  the  Thursday  evening  meetings,  how- 
ever, they  were  all  given  clearly  to  understand  that 
this  was  to  be  a  religious  meeting.  Here  Jew  and 
Gentile,  Roman  Catholic  and  Protestant  were  all  to 
be  treated  alike  as  creatures  of  God  in  need  of  the 
Creator's  help.  Nothing  was  to  be  said  against 
Judaism  and  Catholicism,  or  for  or  against  any 
"  ism  "  or  creed,  but  the  little  children's  souls  were 
to  be  dealt  with  faithfully  and  their  lives  were  to  be 
brought  face  to  face  with  the  Saviour  of  life. 
Almost  from  the  first  of  this  experiment  the  Thurs- 
day night  religious  meeting  grew  popular  and  the 
Tuesday  night  entertainment  meeting  lost  favour 
among  the  boys.  The  Tuesday  evening  meetings 
failed  because  the  boys  could  get  more  exciting 
amusement  and  more  thrilling  entertainment  at  the 
theatres  and  the  dime  museums  than  at  the  club,  but 
these  places  couldn't  give  them  what  the  Thursday 
evening  meeting  supplied — the  satisfaction  for  their 
heart -hunger  and  the  gratification  of  their  desire  for 
love  and  comfort.  During  the  first  year  in  which 
this  experiment  was  tried  the  average  attendance  was 


94  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

far  larger  on  Thursday  evenings  when  the  distinct- 
ively religious  meetings  were  held  than  on  Tuesday 
evenings  when  merely  social  and  ethical  returns  were 
expected.  This  was  due  to  the  fact  that  on  Thurs- 
day nights  the  boys  got  just  what  they  wanted  and 
what  they  could  obtain  nowhere  else ;  while  on 
Tuesday  nights  they  received  just  a  tame  substitute 
for  the  excitement  and  the  glare  with  which  they 
were  so  familiar  on  the  street.  It  is  not  a  substitute 
for  the  saloon,  the  dance-hall  and  the  theatre  that  the 
people  of  the  slums  need — at  least  if  a  substitute 
means,  as  it  too  often  does,  something  different  from 
the  original  but  so  much  like  it  that  one  can  scarcely 
tell  the  difference — but  the  providing  of  the  thing 
which  they  really,  intrinsically  need,  and  that  for 
which  the  best  that  is  in  them  craves.  And  they  all 
do  crave  for  this.  No  matter  how  hardened,  or 
vicious,  or  indifferent  they  may  seem,  if  the  living, 
feeding,  soul-satisfying  truth  is  told  to  them  in  the 
right  way,  they  will  come  to  it  as  steel  comes  to  the 
magnet. 

Having  now  described  the  principle  upon  which 
this  work  is  done,  and  the  method  of  doing  it,  let  us 
consider  what  are  some  of  its  results.  Of  course  the 
most  important  results,  and  those  which  may  be  the 
most  far-reaching  in  their  consequences,  are  impos- 
sible to  tabulate.  "  Figures  count  for  but  little  when 
you  are  dealing  with  soul-stuff."  But  there  are  some 
visible  results  which  may  well  be  reported  for  the  en- 
couragement of  those  who  think  the  task  is  impossible. 

I.     Among   the  membership  in  general  there  is 


Religious  Work  with  Street  Waifs      95 

now  evident  a  very  marked  respect  for  the  essentials 
of  religion,  for  prayer,  for  sacred  song  and  for  testi- 
mony. The  deportment  of  the  boys  during  the  re- 
ligious meeting  is  almost  perfect.  In  this  respect 
there  is  a  complete  change  from  what  existed  in  the 
early  days  of  the  work. 

2.  The  boys,  irrespective  of  their  religious  home 
training  and  inherited  beliefs,  are  absolute  believers  in 
the  efficacy  of  prayer.  They  are  not  here  taught 
the  theory  of  it,  but  the  practice ;  so  they  believe  in 
it  because  they  have  seen  it  tried  and  proven.  The 
prayers  offered  in  the  meetings  are  usually  made  to 
centre  upon  a  definite  object.  Some  one  of  the  Club 
workers  is  sick,  some  one  of  the  boys  has  been  in- 
jured or  fallen  a  prey  to  temptation,  some  specific 
need  has  arisen,  so  they  all  agree  that  the  only  solu- 
tion of  the  trouble  is  to  speak  to  God  about  it.  And 
when  it  has  been  left  with  Him,  they  all  believe  that 
it  will  end  for  the  best. 

One  Thursday  evening  the  leader  of  the  meeting 
announced  to  the  boys  that  one  of  their  friends  was 
very  ill.  Then  he  asked  them  what  they  should  do 
about  it.  They  all  responded, "  pray."  But  before  the 
prayer  was  offered,  the  leader  said  to  the  audience : 
"  Now,  boys,  suppose  we  should  pray  for  this  sick 
one  to-night  and  she  should  not  be  well  in  the  morn- 
ing ?  What  if  we  should  keep  on  praying  and  she 
should  not  get  well  at  all  ?  What  if  we  should  ask 
God  to  make  her  well  and  she  should  die  ?  "  At  this 
new  problem  the  boys  all  sat  still  in  wonder.  Then 
the  leader  proceeded  to  tell  them  of  people  who  had 


96  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

lain  for  long  years  upon  beds  of  sickness  and  had 
there  lived  such  beautiful  lives  as  to  be  a  blessing  to 
many.  He  also  told  them  of  people  whose  loved 
ones  had  been  taken  from  them,  but  gain  had  come 
out  of  their  loss.  In  the  end  the  boys  all  agreed  that 
God  knew  what  was  best,  and  would  always  do  the 
right  thing. 

3.  In  some  instances  immediate  returns  have  been 
obtained  as  the  result  of  an  evening's  meeting.     In 
one  meeting,  a  young  man  from  the  Anti-Cigarette 
League  gave  a  talk,  illustrated  by  stereopticon,  show- 
ing   the    evil    effects   of    cigarette  smoking.     The 
talk  was  so  clearly  and  forcibly  presented  that  at  least 
forty  of  the  boys  afterwards  pledged  to  desist  from 
smoking.     After  another  meeting,  a  boy  of  Jewish 
parentage  and  of  strong  Jewish  prejudices,  came  to 

the    leader  privately  and  said :     "  Mr.  C ,  you 

know  that  I  used  to  hate  those  songs  we  sing  about 
Jesus.     I  used  to  hate  the  very  name  of  Jesus,  but 
now  it  is  so  different,  I  love  those  songs,  I  love  Jesus, 
and  I  love  everybody."     After  this  time,  this  boy  be- 
came the  leader  of  the  singing  in  the  gospel  meeting 
and  a  beautiful  soloist,  singing  from  the  heart,  those 
very  songs  which  he  once  despised. 

4.  While  there  have  been  a  few  of  these  immediate 
results,  there  are  more  which  have  been  gradual,  the 
natural  result  of  the  permeating  influence  of  a  Chris- 
tian atmosphere  and  a  faithful  religious  instruction. 
The  Club  is  meant  to  be  a  Christian  home  for  the 
boys.    Its  atmosphere  and  influence  are  made  to  be  as 
nearly  as  possible  like  that  of  the  ennobling  Christian 


Religious  Work  with  Street  Waifs      97 

homes  from  which  the  workers  have  come.  The  best 
fruits  of  this  kind  of  seed  sowing  come  gradually  and 
ripen  in  due  season ;  but  that  the  fruits  do  come,  and 
that  the  harvests  are  ripening,  will  be  seen  from  con- 
sidering the  following  facts. 

There  are  two  boys  in  the  Club,  both  of  whom 
have  been  members  almost  from  the  first.  These  two 
boys  are  leaders  of  two  rival  gangs  of  would-be  des- 
peradoes who  prey  upon  the  down-town  public. 
Both  of  them  have  police  records  and  one  of  them 
has  been  several  times  to  the  reform  school.  This 
boy  was  known  at  the  reform  school  as  an 
audacious,  hot-headed,  fiery-tempered,  uncontrollable 
culprit.  The  club  now  considers  these  two  boys 
among  its  most  hopeful  subjects.  For  a  year  or 
more,  they  have  employed  their  "  gang-instinct "  and 
their  gang  rivalry  for  good  among  the  members  of  the 
club.  An  account  of  some  of  their  doings  in  this 
way  has  been  given  earlier  in  this  chapter.  Tony, 
the  leader  of  one  of  these  gangs,  has  become  very 
tractable  and  very  earnest  in  his  endeavours  to  do 
right.  In  one  of  the  informal  religious  meetings  when 
the  boys  were  freely  telling  their  experiences  and 
frankly  reciting  their  difficulties,  this  boy  said :  "  Mr. 

C ,  it  seems  like  I  can't  live  right  in  dis  city.     I 

don't  swear  no  more,  I  don't  gamble  now,  but  you 
know  when  I  get  out  wid  de  guys  and  dey  have  de 
makin's  and  dey  say  '  have  a  smoke,  Tony/  I  just 
can't  help  it.  An'  when  some  big  guy  hits  a  little 
guy,  I  just  can't  help  it :  I  gotto  fight,  and  den  I  get 
mad,  and  den  I  cuss.  De  only  way  I  can  live  right  is 


98  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

to  git  out  in  de  country  away  from  all  de  guys  where 
won't  nobody  have  no  makin's  an'  where  you  can't 
fight  cause  dey  ain't  nobody  to  fight  wid.  You  wait 
till  nex'  summer,  den  I  go  out  in  de  country,  den  I  be 
good."  Until  then,  he's  making  a  heroic  fight  where 
he  is,  and  he  has  the  highest  respect  and  sympathy 
from  all  his  gang. 

The  other  boy  spoke  thus  to  the  audience :  "  Yez 
guys  ought  'o  help  a  fellow.  I  see  a  guy  had  the 
makin's,  an'  anudder  guy  cum  up  an'  knocked  it  out 
his  hands.  We  guys  don't  want  'o  smoke.  Yez 
guys  ought  'o  help  a  fellow."  The  leader  of  the 
meeting  said  quietly  :  "  Boys,  how  are  you  going  to 
stop  these  things  ?  "  At  this,  both  of  the  boys  who 

had  spoken,  said  earnestly,  "  Mr.  C ,  you  pray 

for  us." 

Nobody  knows  the  temptations  that  these  little 
chaps  have,  surrounded  as  they  are  by  evil  com- 
panions and  by  degrading  influences  on  every  side. 
Surely  the  Saviour  who  died  for  the  world,  must 
have  had  these  in  mind  when  He  made  the  sacrifice. 
Shall  we  not  tell  them  about  Him  ? 


« In  the  fight  for  the  lad,  it  is 
the  Boys'  Club  that  knocks 
out  the  gang." — Jacob  Kits. 

VI 

THE  NEWSBOY  AND   HIS  REAL  LIFE 

As  all  the  members  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  are 
of  the  newsboy  element,  and  practically  all  of  them 
are  either  now  or  have  once  been  engaged  in  paper- 
selling,  it  is  fitting  that  a  chapter  of  this  book  be  de- 
voted to  their  interests. 

First,  let  it  be  noticed  that  a  newsboy  is  not  a 
freak.  He  is  not  a  curious  specimen  of  humanity  to 
be  placed  in  a  cage  for  the  amusement  of  those  pass- 
ing by.  He  is  not  a  menagerie  specimen,  but  a 
human  being. 

Until  the  newsboy,  or  any  other  class  of  people,  is 
approached  as  a  human  being  and  viewed  from  the 
human  standpoint,  but  little  of  real  value  can  be  done 
for  him. 

The  question  to  be  asked  about  this  class  of  boys 
(or  rather  about  each  individual  who  forms  this  class) 
is  not  what  is  his  outward  appearance,  or  even  what 
are  his  outward  habits ;  but  rather  how  does  he  live, 
what  does  he  think,  and  how  does  he  feel,  what  are 
the  desires,  the  ambitions,  the  yearnings  of  the  throb- 
bing heart  which  exists  underneath  his  rough  ex- 
terior ?  An  inner  view  of  this  question  is  afforded 
through  the  life  and  words  of  Owen  Kildare,  who 
was  himself  for  ten  years  a  homeless,  hounded  news- 

99 


loo  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

boy.  He  speaks  of  "  this  most  emotional  creature, 
the  newsboy."  In  the  conclusion  of  his  interesting 
autobiography,  entitled  "  My  Mamie  Rose,"  he  says : 
"  I  want  to  show  that  their  hearts  (those  of  the  people 
of  the  slums)  hunger  most  and  not  their  stomachs, 
and  want  to  ask  you  to  believe  that  they,  as  well  as 
others,  cannot  only  feel  hunger  and  cold,  but  can  also 
love  and  despair."  In  the  account  of  his  newsboy 
life,  he  tells  of  a  kind-hearted  woman  who  found  him 
on  the  street,  and  with  a  feeling  of  pity  for  his  con- 
dition, offered  him  a  penny.  "  With  a  light  pat  on 
my  young  cheek,"  the  author  adds,  "  and  one  of  the 
sunniest  smiles  ever  shed  on  me,  she  was  gone  before 
I  could  realize  what  had  happened.  There,  penny  in 
hand,  I  stood,  dreaming  and  stroking  the  cheek  she 
had  touched,  and  asking  myself  why  she  had  done  so. 
Somehow,  I  felt  that,  were  she  to  come  back,  I  could 
just  have  said  to  her :  '  Say  lady,  I  ain't  got  much 
to  give,  but  I'll  give  you  all  me  poipers,  and  me  pen- 
nies, and  me  knife,  if  you'll  only  say  and  do  that  over 
again.'" 

This  little  street  arab,  now  grown  to  be  a  useful 
and  widely  honoured  man,  was,  like  all  others  of  his 
class,  hungry  for  a  touch  of  love,  for  a  look  or  a  word 
of  sympathy,  and  had  he  failed  to  find  it,  he  would 
now  doubtless  have  been  a  Bowery  thug  and  a  de- 
praved criminal  instead  of  the  Christian  citizen  and 
widely  honoured  man  of  letters  that  he  is. 

The  above  statements  are  quoted  thus  early  in  the 
chapter  in  order  that  the  reader  may  obtain  from  one 
who  knows  whereof  he  speaks  a  conception  of  the 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Life      101 

human  side  of  the  unknown  creature  who  is  thought- 
lessly dubbed  a  "  gutter  snipe  "  or  an  "  alley  rat." 

So  to  know  the  boy,  to  understand  his  life,  to  get 
at  the  inner  secrets  of  his  being,  must  be  our  first 
concern,  before  much  good  can  be  done  for  him. 
The  only  way  to  win  a  wild  boy  of  the  streets  to  a 
better  life  is  to  take  an  interest  in  him  and  to  show 
this  interest  by  the  actions  and  the  life ;  to  take  an 
active  interest  in  his  business,  his  pleasures,  his 
temptations,  his  ambitions,  and  even  his  vices.  To 
learn  to  know  the  boy  as  he  is,  and  to  love  him  in 
spite  of  what  he  is,  is  the  only  way  to  win  him. 

The  first  requisite  in  order  to  know  the  child  as  he 
is  and  to  understand  him,  is  to  discover  his  parentage 
and  learn  the  influence  of  his  home.  The  largest 
proportion  of  the  newsboys  in  our  large  cities  are  of 
foreign  parentage.  In  Chicago,  most  of  them  are 
Italians  and  Jews.  Most  of  the  parents  are  newly 
arrived  emigrants  from  Italy  and  Russia,  and  are 
ignorant  of  the  English  language  and  of  American 
customs.  The  boys,  mingling  as  they  do  every  day 
with  English  speaking  people,  and  attending  the 
public  schools,  learn  the  American  ways,  while  their 
parents  remain  as  they  were,  simple  European  peas- 
ants. "  There  is  no  story,"  says  Myron  Adams, 
"  more  tragic  in  the  annals  of  life  in  Chicago  than  the 
break  between  the  American  boy  of  foreign  parentage 
and  his  tenement  home.  The  boy  learns  to  discount 
his  parents'  ignorance,  and  they  misunderstand  and 
half  fear  his  strange  new  world  wisdom.  The  boy, 
becoming  impatient  of  their  restraint,  runs  away, 


1O2  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

sleeps  out  a  night  or  two,  maintains  himself  by  sell- 
ing papers,  likes  the  license  and  excitement  of  the 
street  life,  and  his  home  knows  him  no  more." 

Another  cause  of  the  boy's  estrangement  from  and 
avoidance  of  his  home  is  the  drunken  brutality  and 
the  unjust  treatment  of  his  ignorant,  depraved  parent. 

Also,  it  is  to  be  noticed  that  in  many  instances, 
the  boy  is  not  wanted  at  home ;  there  is  no  room 
for  him  there.  The  entire  family  lives  in  one,  or  at 
best,  two  or  three  small,  dingy  rooms.  As  the 
children  multiply  and  the  poverty  and  squalor  in- 
crease, the  older  boy  is  crowded  out.  His  only  value 
to  his  family  is  the  increased  income  he  can  produce 
through  his  paper  selling ;  so,  if  he  fails  to  produce 
this,  he  is  driven  from  his  home.  "  Kipping  out,"  as 
the  boys  call  it,  is  with  many  of  them,  of  frequent, 
and  sometimes  of  regular  occurrence.  On  the  street, 
at  least  he  finds  a  welcome,  congenial  companions 
and  liberty  to  do  as  he  pleases.  The  "  comfort "  of 
sleeping  over  a  warm  grating,  in  front  of  a  "  hot- 
wheel,"  in  a  corner  or  a  doorway  covered  over  with 
papers  and  rags  is  little  less  than  the  comfort  he 
might  receive  in  the  stifling  atmosphere  of  a  crowded, 
reeking  room  in  his  tenement  home.  So  with  many 
of  the  newsboys,  for  more  or  less  of  the  time  the 
street  and  the  alley  are  made  their  dwelling  place. 

A  sample  of  this  kind  of  boy  life  may  be  found 
in  "  Nickie,"  a  member  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club. 
Nicholas,  commonly  known  as  "  Nickie,"  is  an  Italian 
boy,  eleven  years  of  age.  He  is  a  newsboy  of  the 
newsboys.  There  is  no  trick  of  the  trade  or  experi- 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Life      103 

ence  of  newsboy  life  that  he  does  not  know.  Being 
in  school  during  the  day,  he  gets  down  town  at  about 
four  o'clock,  makes  his  way  to  the  "  News  Alley " 
and  the  "  Meriken  "  (Chicago  American),  and  is  soon 
seen  on  the  street,  with  a  bundle  of  Sports  under  his 
arm,  crying  his  wares.  And  on  the  street  he  stays, 
hot  weather  and  cold,  until  ten  and  often  eleven 
o'clock  at  night,  selling  his  papers.  Nickie,  although 
the  youngest  of  the  three  newsboy  brothers,  often 
takes  home  the  largest  sum  at  night  to  replenish  the 
family  treasury.  He  accomplishes  this  by  several 
devices.  He  has  learned  not  only  the  knack  of  the 
newsboy,  but  also  the  art  of  begging.  Like  many 
another  diminutive  newsboy, — and  the  smaller  they 
are  the  better  for  this  purpose, — he  takes  one  lone 
newspaper  under  his  arm,  and,  with  a  look  the  most 
pitiable  and  forlorn,  approaches  a  stranger  (usually  a 
man  accompanied  by  a  lady),  and  asks  an  alms. 
His  scanty  clothing,  his  hungry,  pleading  look,  and 
the  existence  of  his  one  "  last "  paper,  win  him  the 
day.  He  also  wins  it  over  his  older  and  larger 
brothers  by  quietly  walking  into  saloons,  elbowing 
up  close  to  a  man  with  costly  clothing,  and  staying 
with  him  until  he  has  received  his  "tip."  When 
Nickie  and  his  two  brothers  compare  notes  after  the 
day's  work,  they  say  to  one  another :  "  Are  you 
stuck?"  "Are  you  square?"  And  the  answer 
comes  from  one  or  the  other :  "  No,  I'm  broke ; 
lemme  t'ree  pennies  an'  I'm  square."  To  the  initi- 
ated these  words  mean  that  each  boy  is  expected  to 
bring  home  with  him  each  night  a  certain  amount  of 


104  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

earnings,  and,  if  he  fails  in  this,  he  must  suffer  the 
consequences.  This  being  the  case,  the  boy  often, 
when  "  broke,"  prefers  to  spend  the  night  on  the  street 
or  in  "  de  alley  wid  de  guys  "  to  going  home  and  re- 
ceiving the  treatment  which  he  knows  awaits  him. 
The  next  morning,  if  his  brother  asks  him  where  he 
was,  he  answers  simply  :  "  I  kipped  out." 

In  appearance,  Nickie  is  a  sight  to  behold. 
Dressed  in  man's  trousers,  cut  down  till  they  strike 
him  a  little  above  the  ankle,  men's  shoes  that  reach 
to  within  an  inch  of  his  trouser  legs,  a  collarless 
man's  shirt,  without  coat  in  summer,  and  with  usually 
a  dirty  jumper  on  in  winter,  he  shambles  along  the 
street  dragging  his  much  overlarge  shoes,  altogether 
an  object  worthy  of  observation.  He  is  worthy  of 
pity,  too ;  but  not  so  much  for  his  quaint  attire  and 
his  grimy  face  as  for  his  neglected  mind  and  his 
unenlightened,  unloved  heart. 

The  boy,  devoid  as  he  is  of  all  parental  control  and 
affection,  and  constantly  in  fear  of  the  police  and  the 
truant  officer,  soon  comes  to  lead  a  wild  and  lawless 
life.  As  Owen  Kildare  has  said,  and  said  out  of  his 
own  hard  experience  :  "  If  a  child  has  but  little  in  his 
life  to  love,  and  that  little  is  taken  out  of  his  life,  that 
child  can  turn  into  a  veritable  little  demon."  One 
such  boy  lives  in  a  crowded  tenement  on  Plymouth 
Place,  in  Chicago.  The  family  of  seven  occupies 
two  dingy,  trash-strewn  rooms.  The  head  of  the 
household,  stepfather  to  the  boy  in  discussion,  is  a 
drunken  Italian  street-sweeper.  The  boy  hates  his 
stepfather  worse  than  one  hates  a  rattlesnake,  and  for 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Life      105 

this  he  has  good  cause.  The  stepfather  is  brutal  and 
unmerciful  in  the  extreme.  As  a  result  of  his  ill- 
treatment  at  home,  the  boy  has  grown  to  be  entirely 
unmanageable,  by  force  at  least.  Several  times  he 
has  been  sent  to  the  school  of  correction.  At  times, 
his  anger  has  been  known  to  take  such  a  hold  upon 
him  that  he  has  literally  pawed  the  ground  and  has 
rammed  his  head  against  the  wall  like  a  wild  beast. 
He,  like  many  others,  is  a  boy  who  has  never  been 
loved,  so  like  a  ferocious  dog,  he  "  shows  his  teeth  " 
at  every  approach  of  authority.  Yet,  under  the  kind 
treatment  and  the  encouragement  and  love  which  he 
receives  at  the  Boys'  Club,  he  is  usually  tractable  and 
obedient. 

If  it  is  true  that  many  of  these  boys,  although 
having  homes,  live  away  from  home,  the  question 
arises :  Where  and  how,  then,  do  they  live  ? 

In  Chicago,  there  may  be  found  any  night,  a  group 
of  boys  sleeping  on  the  floor  of  the  restaurant  at  the 
Chicago  American.  Also,  they  may  be  found  under 
the  platform  at  the  Polk  Street  depot,  or  hid  away  in 
some  corner  or  cellar  secluded  from  the  vigilant  eye 
of  the  police.  Question  these  boys  and  most  of 
them  will  tell  you  that  they  have  homes  and  parents  ; 
but,  nevertheless,  for  the  reasons  above  stated,  here 
they  are  to  be  found  every  night  in  the  year. 

Yet,  to  see  the  newsboy  as  he  is,  and  to  get  an 
adequate  idea  of  his  habits  and  his  temptations,  it  is 
necessary  to  take  into  account  his  environments  and 
the  influence  of  these  upon  his  life.  Some  idea  of 
his  home  and  its  influence  has  been  given  above; 


lo6  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

but  really,  his  home,  his  school  and  his  playground 
are  on  the  street.  What  is  called  "  News  Alley,"  or 
in  newsboy  parlance,  simply  "  de  alley,"  is  his  habitat 
and  his  headquarters. 

"  De  alley  "  is  the  narrow  passageway  back  of  the 
American.  As  one  enters  this  alley,  if  it  be  in  the 
daytime,  the  first  thing  to  be  noticed  is  a  confused 
mass  of  teams,  crowding,  backing  and  turning  in  the 
narrow  passageway.  Among  these  may  be  seen 
boys  and  men  and  officers.  Men  and  older  boys 
rush  out,  carrying  on  their  shoulders  heavy  burdens 
of  papers  to  stock  their  street-corner  stands ;  small 
boys  stroll  listlessly  about  or  lounge  in  the  corners, 
waiting  for  their  papers ;  and  usually  there  may  be 
seen  a  burly  officer  of  the  law  on  the  watch  for  the 
ever-brewing  fight  or  the  never-far-distant  crap- 
game. 

There  are  two  alleys,  one  in  the  rear  of  the  Ameri- 
can and  the  other  back  of  the  Daily  News.  In  the 
"  Meriken  Ally "  a  restaurant  is  provided  by  the 
paper,  where  lunches  are  given  free  of  charge  to  any 
boy  who  purchases  a  bundle  of  papers.  The  "  News 
Alley,"  on  the  contrary,  is  a  place  of  commerce.  Al- 
most at  the  entrance  of  this  is  a  small  booth  where 
"  red-hots  "  and  ice  cream  are  sold  for  a  penny  a-piece, 
and  "  pop  "  for  two  cents  a  bottle.  Just  beyond  this, 
is  a  restaurant  where  cheap  lunches  are  on  sale.  On 
one  side  of  the  alley  is  a  man  sitting  under  an  um- 
brella selling  ice  cream  from  a  freezer.  Up-stairs  on 
the  gymnasium  floor  is  a  penny  lunch  stand.  Here 
in  the  alley,  a  statement  by  Ernest  Poole  is  proven 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Lite      107 

true :  "  They  seldom  bother,"  he  says,  "  about  meals, 
but  eat '  mos'ly  always/  the  messengers  between  mes- 
sages and  the  newsboys  between  editions." 

These  irregular  eating  places  and  consequent  ir- 
regular eating  habits  may  be  harmless  enough,  at  least 
as  far  as  character  is  concerned,  but  there  are  other 
agencies  at  work  here  whose  influence  is  not  so  mild. 

A  saloon  door  opens  alluringly  out  into  the  alley ; 
its  fumes  continually  greet  the  nostrils  of  the  boys, 
and  many  of  the  older  ones,  at  least,  are  lured  therein. 
Just  at  the  west  entrance  of  the  alley  is  a  store  where 
dime  novels,  dice,  cards,  cigarette  papers  and  tobacco 
are  kept  on  sale  and  prominently  displayed  in  the 
window.  Here,  as  everywhere  in  city  life,  there 
operates  the  law  of  supply  and  demand.  The  boys 
have  a  natural  desire  for  the  chance  success  of  the  crap- 
game,  for  the  excitement  of  the  dime  novel,  for  the 
suggestiveness  of  obscene  pictures,  and  for  the  numb- 
ing effect  of  the  cigarette,  so  these  things  are  sup- 
plied for  them ;  and  in  turn  the  tempting  display  of 
the  supply  makes  the  demand  grow  ever  greater. 

After  seeing  the  "  News  Alley  "  by  day,  take  a 
trip,  late  in  the  night,  into  the  American  alley.  If  it 
be  in  the  summer  time,  there  will  usually  be  found 
from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  boys  there  during 
the  night ;  if  in  winter,  from  a  dozen  to  fifty.  Many 
of  these  are  little  hungry-faced  boys,  less  than  twelve 
years  of  age.  They  mingle  in  with  the  older  boys, 
listen  eagerly  to  their  coarse  talk,  drink  in  the  product 
of  their  vile  minds  and  become  old  in  the  ways  of  sin 
while  they  are  still  striplings  in  strength  and  charac- 


io8  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

ter.  A  policeman  walks  among  them  to  preserve 
order.  He  stops  (at  least  when  a  visitor  is  in  sight), 
the  crap-games  and  the  "  scraps,"  but  he  cannot  stop 
the  low  talk.  As  this  policeman  said  to  the  writer  : 
"  There's  niver  a  dacent  word  spoke." l 

The  boys  lounge  about  engaged  in  talk  and  banter- 
ings,  playing  cards  or  "  craps,"  when  they  can  elude 
the  police,  and  sleeping  at  intervals  on  the  rolls  of 
paper  or  on  the  rough  benches,  until  three  thirty  in 
the  morning,  when  there  comes  from  the  press  the 
early  edition  of  the  paper,  for  which  they  are  (the 
most  of  them)  waiting.  Then  they  rush  out  upon 
the  street  to  dispose  of  their  wares  to  the  ever-moving, 
nocturnal  population — to  the  throngs  who  habitually 
turn  day  into  night  and  "  come  not  to  the  light,  be- 
cause their  deeds  are  evil." 

To  such  places  it  is  that  these  young  lads,  many  of 
them  no  more  than  six  years  of  age,  go  daily  and  spend 
their  leisure  hours.  This  is  their  school.  This  is 
where  they  formulate  their  ideas  of  justice  and  of 
purity.  This  is  the  atmosphere  in  which  their  char- 
acters are  being  formed.  Here  the  toughest  boy, 
the  greatest  boaster,  the  most  profane  talker  and 
unscrupulous  dealer  is  their  hero.  The  newsboys' 
heroes  are  always  those  "  who  owe  their  promi- 
nence to  physical  prowess."  Here  the  one  who 
will  bet  and  swear  the  most  daringly,  who  can 
strike  the  hardest  blow,  and  who  can  the  most 


1  Since  the  above  was  written,  a  few  changes  have  been  made  for 
the  better. 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Life      109 

successfully  perpetrate  a  crime  is  the  model  of 
manhood  for  all.  Here,  as  among  the  ancient 
Romans,  it  is  a  virtue  to  do  wrong,  but  a  sin  to  be 
detected.  No  wonder  that  the  street  has  been  called  : 
"  The  worst  of  all  schools  of  crime." 

Besides  this  constant  contact  with  older  boys  of 
idle  and  vicious  habits,  and  this  degrading  atmos- 
phere in  which  they  live  on  the  street,  there  are  many 
other  surrounding  tendencies  which  militate  against 
the  character  of  the  newsboy. 

His  business  entitles  him,  often  even  requires  him, 
to  enter  places  with  which  no  child  should  be  ac- 
quainted. He  goes  constantly  in  and  out  of  the 
doors  of  saloons  and  brothels.  One  boy,  when  in- 
terviewed, said  that  he  intended  to  leave  the  news- 
boy trade,  "  'Cause  I  got  to  go  in  saloons,  and  dere's 
ladies  in  dere,  and  they're  drunk,  and  dey  cuss." 

The  strongest  temptations  to  personal  wrong-doing 
which  the  boys  have  to  meet,  are  games  of  chance, 
the  low  theatre,  and  the  cigarette  habit. 

To  the  newsboy,  the  only  conceivable  way  to  "  git 
an  udder  start  when  you're  broke  "  is  to  gamble  for  it. 
One  boy  acknowledged  that  he  could  stop  the  swear- 
ing, the  stealing  and  the  cigarette  smoking,  but  he 
"  couldn't  never  quit  gamblin'." 

If  a  boy  has  a  few  pennies  in  his  pocket,  but  not 
enough  to  procure  the  needed  amount  of  papers  from 
the  next  edition,  he  usually  hunts  up  a  "  bunch  of 
guys  "  who  are  "  shootin'  craps,"  "  flipping  pennies  " 
or  playing  poker,  and  there  risks  his  little  fortune. 
No  matter  how  many  times  he  loses,  you  can't  con- 


no  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

vince  him  that  there's  any  other  way  to  "  git  anudder 
start  "  than  this  way. 

Besides  the  ordinary  theatres  there  are  the  dime 
museums  and  penny-arcades  which  consume  many 
of  the  boys'  dimes  and  pennies,  and  at  the  same  time 
debase  their  minds.  Only  a  hasty  glance  at  some  of 
the  obscene,  suggestive  titles  given  to  the  various 
"  Penny-in-a-slot "  observation  machines  in  an  arcade 
will  suffice  to  show  the  character  and  influence  of  the 
thing. 

The  cigarette  habit  with  newsboys  is  almost  univer- 
sal. There  are  many  boys  on  our  streets  who  appear 
to  be  no  more  than  eight  or  nine  years  of  age,  who 
are  in  reality  thirteen  or  over.  They  are  cigarette 
fiends  and  have  been  since  their  babyhood. 

All  these  habits  and  these  blighting  life  tendencies 
they  pick  up  on  the  streets,  the  small  boys  learning 
from  the  older  ones,  and  no  one  forbidding  them  or 
even  telling  them  that  it  is  wrong. 

A  recent  writer  on  charitable  subjects  has  said : 
"  The  newsboy  is  one  of  the  most  familiar  figures  in 
our  cities'  life,  a  veritable  merchant  of  the  street, 
quick  of  wit,  intent  on  his  trade,  often  putting  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  day  into  a  few  hours  when  his  busi- 
ness is  at  its  best.  He  is  known  to  all  of  us.  But 
we  see  him  at  his  best  and  know  little  about  him  at 
his  worst."  A  committee  which  investigated  the  sub- 
ject in  Liverpool,  England,  several  years  ago, 
reported  that  "  Street  trading  by  children  is  attended 
with  injury  to  their  health,  with  interference  to  their 
education  and  with  danger  to  their  moral  welfare." 


One  of  the  Many  Traps  to  Catch  the  Boys — Located 
near  the  Central  Building  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Life      ill 

As  a  proof  of  this  statement's  application  to  our  own 
country,  Mr.  Sloan,  when  superintendent  of  the  John 
Worthy  School  of  Chicago,  said  that "  over  one  third 
of  the  newsboys  who  are  committed  to  the  school  are 
suffering  from  venereal  diseases,  and  they  are  one  third 
below  the  average  boy  in  physical  development." 

Ernest  Poole,  in  an  article  in  McClure's  Magazine 
for  1903  maintains  that  the  most  of  the  newsboys  of 
our  streets  grow  up  to  be  tramps  and  criminals.  He 
seems  to  base  his  conclusions,  however,  upon  the 
theory  of  the  thing  rather  than  upon  determined 
facts,  and  the  facts  show  that  to-day  many  of  our 
most  prominent  business  men,  professional  men, 
scholars  and  statesmen,  were  once  newsboys  and  owe 
their  success,  in  part  at  least,  to  their  newsboy  experi- 
ence. He  argues,  however,  that  the  excitement  of 
the  street,  the  indiscriminate  handling  of  money,  and 
the  constant  thirst  for  change  which  are  peculiar  to 
the  street  boy,  necessarily  make  of  him  a  vagrant  or 
a  criminal.  Mr.  Poole's  belief  is  that  most  of  the 
street  boys,  when  grown,  go  to  recruit  the  ranks  at 
the  race  track,  the  variety  show,  and  the  prize  ring. 
"  Most  all  newsboys,"  he  says,  "  turn  out  to  be  fail- 
ures." This  must  be  true,  he  argues,  "  because  those 
who  succeed  leave  the  street.  Their  influence  is  lost 
upon  it.  The  beggars,  toughs  and  criminals  all  re- 
main to  teach  those  who  follow.  The  street  is  for- 
ever losing  its  successes  and  accumulating  its  failures. 
The  homeless,  the  most  illiterate,  the  most  dishonest, 
the  most  impure — these  are  the  finished  products  of 
child  street  labour." 


112  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

This  is  probably  true  of  the  majority  of  street 
boys,  but  fortunately  it  is  not  true  of  all.  Mr. 
Everett  Goodhue,  an  investigator  of  newsboy  condi- 
tions in  Boston,  says  that "  The  difference  between 
the  boy  who  is  helped  and  the  boy  who  is  injured  by 
the  influence  of  the  street  is  measured  by  the  power 
which  each  has  to  react  on  his  environment.  The 
boy  who  gets  some  portion  of  good  from  his  environ- 
ment accepts  the  conditions  imposed  by  his  surround- 
ings only  so  far  as  they  will  work  to  his  advantage. 
The  boys  who  are  injured  by  knowledge  of  the  street 
and  all  its  evils  are  the  ones,  who  on  account  of  no 
home  restraint,  have  little  if  any  power  of  self-con- 
trol." 

Yet,  strange  though  it  may  be,  there  are  those 
even  from  poor  homes  and  from  under  the  most  un- 
favourable circumstances,  who  do  have  this  power  of 
self-control  and  who  do,  in  a  manly  way,  rise  above 
circumstances.  These  little  men  get  an  experience  in 
the  business  world,  in  the  handling  of  money,  in  the 
knowledge  of  men,  and  in  the  overcoming  of  diffi- 
culties which  places  them  far  ahead  of  their  compan- 
ions who  have  not  had  the  same  experience.  These 
fellows  will  win  in  the  battle  of  life  if  they  can  hold 
their  ground  against  the  enormous  temptations  which 
beset  them.  In  order  to  accomplish  this,  the  boy 
must  have  some  help  from  without. 

The  home  is  the  place  where  these  boys  ought  to 
be  provided  for,  where  they  ought  in  any  normal 
condition  of  society  to  be  trained  and  safeguarded ; 
but  this  fails  them — in  many  cases  not  only  neglects 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Life      113 

but  contaminates  them  by  the  evil  influences  which 
exist  within  it. 

The  American  government  has  placed  the  school 
as  a  supplementary  influence  to  the  home ;  but  often 
with  all  the  effort  which  the  law  can  put  forth  it  fails 
of  its  purpose,  with  the  nervous,  reckless,  freedom- 
loving  boy  of  the  street.  Mr.  John  Hinley,  a  few 
years  ago,  made  the  statement  that  "  one-half  of  the 
school  boys  in  the  great  cities  of  the  United  States 
leave  school  by  the  age  of  eleven,  and  more  than  one 
half  do  not  attend  school  more  than  three  years." 
While  this  state  of  affairs  has  recently  been  somewhat 
changed  through  compulsory  education  laws  and 
officers,  yet  it  is  still  true  that  there  are  thousands  of 
city  boys,  of  school  age,  who  are  out  of  school.  In 
1906,  Mr.  William  M.  Salter,  in  an  address  delivered 
in  Chicago,  said :  "  Chicago  has  40,000  children  un- 
der fourteen  years  of  age  not  in  school  at  all ;  it  has 
15,000  under  sixteen  years  of  age  who  are  wage- 
earners."  For  this  class,  the  state  has  provided  other 
means.  The  government  says,  in  effect:  The 
schools  are  open  for  you ;  you  must  go  to  them  so 
many  days  a  year.  If  you  will  not  go  to  them 
voluntarily,  you  will  be  forced  to  go  to  a  school  of 
another  kind.  So,  large  numbers  of  street  boys  are 
arrested  and  sent  off  every  year  to  the  reform  schools 
and  industrial  farms,  charged  with  truancy. 

The  missions,  realizing  that  the  public  schools  fail  to 
give  the  boy  what  he  most  needs — namely,  good 
moral  and  religious  instruction — open  their  doors 
and  invite  him  to  come  in  to  them  and  "  learn  to  be 


114  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

good."  But  the  child  of  the  street  doesn't  care  to 
"  learn  to  be  good,"  at  least  not  in  that  way.  What 
he  wants  more,  and  first  of  all,  is  be  to  understood,  to 
be  appreciated,  to  be  given  a  man's  chance.  He  does 
not  want  to  be  dosed  with  knowledge  or  with  good- 
ness, as  with  a  spoon.  He  simply  wants  a  chance  to 
do  for  himself,  and  a  friendly,  helpful,  guiding,  stay- 
ing hand  to  put  and  keep  him  on  the  right  course. 

It  can  readily  be  seen  that  a  boy  brought  up  or 
rather  growing  up,  among  the  conditions  above  de- 
scribed is  not  much  to  blame  if  he  goes  wrong. 
No,  the  wonder  is  to  those  who  know  the  conditions 
under  which  he  is  held  that  any  one  could  grow  up 
there  to  be  aught  but  a  criminal  and  a  vagabond.  The 
good  there  is  in  these  boys,  despite  their  disadvantage, 
and  the  bad  there  is  in  other  boys,  despite  their  good 
training,  is  a  marvel  that  has  not  yet  been  explained. 

The  constant  assertion  of  Denver's  famous  judge, 
Hon.  Ben.  B.  Lindsey,  of  the  Juvenile  Court,  is  that 
there  "  ain't  no  really  bad  kids."  Street  boys  are 
bad,  he  says,  "  because  while  they  have  lots  of  op- 
portunity to  do  wrong,  they  have  none  to  do  good." 
To  give  the  newsboy  and  the  street  waif  this  "  show 
to  do  good "  is  the  duty  and  opportunity  of  the 
hour. 

The  good  "  Jedge,"  as  the  boys  fondly  call  him, 
loves  to  quote  the  words  of  Riley  : 

"  I  believe  all  children's  good 
Ef  they  're  only  understood, — 
Even  bad  ones,  'pears  to  me, 
'S  jes'  as  good  as  they  kin  be." 


The  Newsboy  and  His  Real  Life      115 

The  Juvenile  Court  in  Chicago,  as  well  as  in 
Denver  and  every  other  large  city  of  the  continent, 
is  taking  hold  of  these  boys,  and  is  trying  to  deal 
out  to  them  justice  rather  than  punishment,  friend- 
ship and  help,  rather  than  wrath  and  hatred;  yet, 
this  is  after  the  crime  has  been  committed.  "  The 
Juvenile  Court,"  says  Chief  Probation  Officer  Thurs- 
ton,  of  Chicago,  "  is  attempting  to  keep  the  boy 
out  of  the  penitentiary ;  but  something  ought  to  be 
done  to  keep  the  boy  out  of  the  Juvenile  Court." 

This  task  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  is  undertaking  to 
do,  and  in  many  cases  is  doing. 

A  subsequent  chapter  (  Chatper  X  )  of  this  book 
will  describe  in  detail  the  method  and  the  result  of 
its  accomplishment. 


"  We  try  to  suppress  vices  when 
we  should  release  virtues." — 
Prof.  Simon  N.  Patten,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania. 

VII 
BIDDING  FOR  THE  BOY 

IT  has  been  estimated  by  a  committee  recently 
appointed  to  investigate  the  matter,  that  an  aggregate 
of  365,000,000  people  per  year,  or  100,000  people 
per  day,  patronize  the  penny  arcades  and  cheap 
theatres  of  Chicago.  These  places,  open  as  they  are 
seven  days  in  the  week,  accommodate  more  people 
than  do  all  the  churches  and  Sabbath-schools  of  the 
city. 

This  being  true,  it  surely  behooves  us  to  question 
what  is  the  influence  of  these  places  upon  those  who 
enter  them.  The  licensed  amusement  places  in 
Chicago  are  of  fifteen  different  classes.  Among 
these  are  the  ordinary  theatres,  dance  halls,  amuse- 
ment parks,  baseball  parks,  merry-go-rounds,  shows, 
skating  rinks,  etc. 

Penny  arcades  and  five-cent  theatres  belong  to  the 
fifteenth  class.  These  are  probably  the  most  danger- 
ous in  their  influence  upon  the  youth  of  the  streets. 
There  are  in  Chicago  somewhat  more  than  one  hun- 
dred places  of  this  class  and  they  are  increasing 
rapidly.  Most  of  these  places  are  especially  arranged 
to  attract  the  children,  and  of  the  throngs  who  enter 
them,  a  large  percentage  of  boys  and  girls  are  always 
conspicuous.  The  district  where  the  most  numerous 

116 


Bidding  for  the  Boy  117 

and  the  most  debasing  of  these  arcades  and  theatres 
exist  is  that  which  closely  surrounds  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club. 

In  the  five  blocks  of  State  Street  between  Polk  and 
Monroe  Streets  there  are  six  penny  arcades,  seven 
five-cent  theatres,  one  ten-cent  theatre  and  two 
higher  priced  vaudeville  theatres.  In  all  of  these, 
even  in  the  middle  of  the  day  and  during  school 
hours,  young  children  are  present  in  large  numbers. 
They  stand  at  the  entrances  to  the  theatres  with  wide- 
open,  wondering  eyes,  looking  at  the  lewd  pictures 
and  the  flashy  advertisements  on  display,  and  they 
enter  the  penny  arcades  in  groups  and  there  spend 
their  pennies  for  a  peep  at  disgracefully  immoral  or 
criminal  scenes  through  a  penny-in-a-slot  ob- 
servation machine,  for  chance  throws  with  wooden 
rings  in  a  knife  game  or  for  the  hearing  of  a 
"  popular  "  song  in  a  phonograph  machine.  Every- 
thing here  is  made  to  pander  to  the  sensuous,  the 
immoral,  the  fleshly  part  of  human  nature.  It  is 
stated  that  one  of  these  five-cent  theatres  on  State 
Street  nets  $3,000  per  month  in  profits  to  its  owner, 
and  these  $3,000  per  month  are  obtained  in  amounts 
of  five  cents  at  a  time  from  the  children  and  grown 
people  who  thoughtlessly  throng  into  its  entrance. 
The  men  who  are  in  this  business  are  in  it  for  the 
money  they  can  get  out  of  it,  and  they  care  little  or 
nothing  for  the  immortal  souls  which  they  destroy  in 
the  process. 

During  an  investigation  recently  made  under  the 
auspices  of  the  City  Club  of  Chicago,  one  of  the 


ii8  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

visitors  of  the  committee  stood  in  a  penny  arcade 
watching  the  knife  game  then  in  process.  A  crowd 
of  boys  stood  about  a  counter  flinging  rings  at  a  row 
of  knives  in  the  background.  In  the  words  of  the 
report  of  this  committee  :  "  Three  rings  were  given 
for  a  nickel,  seven  for  a  dime.  From  half  a  dozen 
hands  flew  the  rings.  Very  rarely  a  ring  dropped 
over  a  knife.  When  it  did  the  attendant  shoved  out 
its  value  in  rings.  Now  and  then  a  knife  that  was 
won  was  taken,  but  not  often.  One  lad,  whom  for- 
tune favoured,  captured  six  knives,  but  he  took  them 
all  in  new  chances.  As  the  visitor  stepped  up,  a 
dirty  hand  belonging  to  a  boy  who  could  not  have 
reached  sixteen  years  of  age,  brought  up  a  five 
dollar  bill  and  shoved  it  across  to  the  attendant. 
From  his  change  he  again  and  again  feverishly 
replenished  his  pile,  only  to  see  it  rattle  out  of  sight 
behind  the  knives.  '  Are  you  in  this  ? '  the  visitor 
said  to  a  little  fellow  perhaps  twelve  years  old.  '  Oh, 
it's  easy,  mister.  See  the  knife  that  I've  got  this 
morning,  and  one  fellow  got  a  watch,  too,  worth 
$2.50.  Sure  I'm  in  it.'  Turning  to  the  manager, 
the  visitor  said :  '  Just  see  those  boys  learning  to 
gamble.  Look  at  their  money  fly ! '  '  You're 
right,'  he  said, «  but  where  did  those  children  come 
from  ? '  '  The  streets.'  '  Who  lets  them  run  there  ? ' 
'  Their  parents.'  '  If  the  parents  of  Chicago  care  no 
more  for  their  children  than  that,  why  should  we  ? 
Shall  we  be  more  interested  in  them  than  their 
parents  ?  We  do  not  put  a  shotgun  to  their  heads. 
They  come  in  here  and  give  us  their  money.'  " 


Bidding  for  the  Boy  119 

The  above  is  from  the  view-point  of  the  pagan 
proprietor  of  the  penny  arcade,  but  as  patriots  and 
Christians,  we  must  take  a  different  stand.  Here 
these  children  are,  by  the  thousands,  roaming  the 
streets.  Parents  or  no  parents,  they  crowd  into  these 
dangerous  places  of  amusement, — in  many  cases,  they 
go  with  their  parents.  Yes,  we  must  be  more  inter- 
ested in  them  than  their  parents.  In  order  to  save 
these  children  and  keep  them  out  of  these  places  of 
danger,  we  must  be  to  them  all  that  their  parents 
ought  to  be  and  are  not.  We  must  take  the  place  of 
parent  to  them.  Some  say  that  in  order  to  keep  the 
children  out  of  these  places  of  evil,  it  is  necessary  to 
organize  places  of  amusement  like  these  and  see  to  it 
that  they  are  run  under  good  auspices.  So  reformers 
have  arisen  and  tried  to  keep  people  out  of  the 
saloon  by  opening  temperance  saloons ;  others  have 
tried  to  keep  people  out  of  the  low  theatres  by  main- 
taining "  decent "  theatres ;  others  attempt  to  reform 
the  evils  of  the  dance  halls  by  conducting  dances 
under  good  auspices ;  and  just  now  a  reformer  has 
arisen  to  cure  the  vulgar  amusement  evil  by  opening 
a  five-cent  theatre  for  educative  purposes.  These 
sporadic  efforts,  one  after  another,  have  failed  of  their 
purpose. 

What  is  needed  is  not  a  substitute  for  the  saloon, 
the  dance  hall,  and  the  theatre  ;  but  a  substitute  for 
the  home.  Not  a  moralized  saloon,  a  purified  dance 
hall,  and  a  civilized  theatre ;  these  will  not  save  the 
coming  generations  from  ruin,  but  a  friend  for  every 
friendless  one,  a  mother  for  every  motherless  one,  and 


12O  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

a  home  for  every  homeless  one  will  save  them  and 
only  this  will. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  there  are  thousands 
in  all  our  great  cities  who  have  houses  in  which  to 
dwell  who  still  are  practically  homeless,  who  have 
mothers  that  bore  them  who  still  are  worse  than 
motherless.  There  are  tens  of  thousands  that 
nominally  have  both  homes  and  parents  to  whom 
the  word  "  home,"  as  we  understand  it,  and  the 
word  "  mother,"  as  we  revere  it,  are  things  un- 
known. 

The  penny  arcades,  the  cheap  theatres,  the  various 
forms  of  public  amusement,  flourish  and  prosper  be- 
cause they  are  meeting  a  real  need ;  they  are  supply- 
ing what  every  childish  heart  craves,  viz.,  joy  and 
happiness — and  if  these  are  not  given  to  them  in  a 
natural  way,  they  will  seek  them  in  an  unnatural  and 
harmful  way. 

Those  who  have  homes  which  they  love  and  whose 
comforts  they  enjoy,  very  seldom  frequent  these 
places.  People  go  to  harmful  places  of  amusement 
largely  because  they  have  no  other  place  to  go  and 
no  other  means  of  finding  pleasure.  So,  evidently 
the  necessary  thing  to  do,  is  to  provide  places  where 
these  "  homeless,"  wandering  children  can  go  and  en- 
joy themselves ;  where  some  one  is  present  to  love 
them,  to  befriend  them  and  to  develop  in  them  the 
good  which  lies  dormant  in  every  one.  The  saloon 
problem  is  not  to  be  solved  by  selling  "  temperance 
drinks,"  nor  the  dance  hall  problem  by  substituting 
«'  decent  "  dances,  nor  the  theatre  problem  by  insti- 


Bidding  for  the  Boy  121 

tuting  "  morality  plays."  All  of  these  things  are  ar- 
tificial and  hence  ineffectual. 

The  only  thing  to  do  is  to  study  the  nature  of 
those  who  frequent  these  places  of  amusement,  to 
find  out  why  they  go  there,  what  principle  it  is  that 
draws  them  thither,  what  lack  in  their  lives  it  is  that 
these  things  supply,  and  then  not  to  weakly  and  tim- 
idly imitate  these  evil  things  but  rather  to  supply  the 
thing  needed  in  a  more  genuine  and  a  more  natural 
way. 

Jacob  Riis  tells  us  that  if  you  give  a  boy  hard,  or- 
ganized play,  he  will  abandon  burglary  as  an  inferior 
kind  of  sport.  It  is  equally  true,  and  has  been 
proven  true,  that  if  a  boy  of  the  street  be  given  his 
amusements  and  means  for  the  occupation  of  his  en- 
ergies in  a  Christian  atmosphere  and  under  friendly, 
loving,  helpful  influences,  he  will  soon  come  to 
abandon  the  theatre  and  the  penny  arcade  as  an  in- 
ferior and  unsatisfactory  kind  of  amusement. 

Dr.  Simon  N.  Patten,  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, tells  us  that  the  great  need  of  the  hour  is 
not  so  much  for  the  suppression  of  vice  as  for  the  re- 
leasing of  virtue.  The  best  way  to  get  people  to 
stop  going  to  the  theatre  and  the  penny  arcade  is  to 
supply  them  with  something  that  they  like  better. 
People  will  go,  and  you  cannot  keep  them  from  go- 
ing to  the  place  where  there  is  "  something  doing." 
The  theatre  manager  succeeds  in  capturing  the  boy 
of  the  street  because  he  makes  a  stronger  bid  for  him 
than  any  one  else  is  making.  He  puts  his  sign  in  a 
prominent  place  :  "  Special  Attractions  for  Women 


122  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

and  Children."  He  gives  away  free  tickets,  he  ad- 
vertises coupon  contests,  he  gets  a  child  of  the  street 
to  sing  or  to  dance  in  his  performance  and  thus  at- 
tracts other  children,  but,  most  of  all,  he  studies  their 
tastes  and  provides  them  with  the  things  which  they 
like. 

The  theatre  manager,  the  saloon-keeper,  the  dive 
owner,  all  pose  as  the  special  friends  of  the  boy. 
The  theatre  manager  takes  an  interest  in  the  boy  in 
order  to  get  him  to  attend  his  performance  and  thus 
to  get  his  pennies  into  his  own  pockets  ;  the  saloon- 
keeper interests  himself  in  the  boy  in  order  to  culti- 
vate in  him  a  taste  for  his  poisonous  wares ;  the  dive 
owner  makes  himself  a  friend  of  the  boy  in  order  to 
ensnare  him  in  the  meshes  of  his  web  of  vice.  If  the 
Christian  worker  is  to  win  the  boy  of  the  street,  he 
too,  must  put  in  his  bid  for  him.  He  too,  must 
study  the  boy's  nature,  and  he  must  make  a  stronger 
appeal  to  him  than  any  one  else  is  making  or  can 
make. 

A  Boys'  Club  can  make  a  stronger  appeal  and  gain 
a  stronger  hold  upon  the  young  boy  than  can  any  of 
the  glaring  amusements  of  the  street  because  the 
Boys'  Club  can  meet  more  of  his  needs  and  satisfy 
more  of  his  yearnings  than  any  of  these  things  can. 
The  boy  yearns  for  pleasure.  Here  he  can  have  it 
in  the  most  satisfying  sense.  He  longs  for  excite- 
ment. Here  he  can  find  it,  not  of  the  artificial, 
tawdry,  vitiating  kind  which  the  theatre  provides, 
but  of  the  manly,  wholesome,  invigourating  kind 
which  a  gymnasium  or  a  baseball  game  provides. 


Street  Waifs  Gathered  in  a  Gospel  Meeting 


One  of  a  Legion  of  5-Cent  Theatres 


Bidding  for  the  Boy  123 

He  likes  to  make  things.  Here  he  can  learn  to  make 
almost  anything  he  desires  and  after  it  is  done,  he 
can  really  have  what  he  has  made.  But  last  and 
most  important  of  all,  the  boy  of  the  streets  yearns 
for  somebody  to  love  him.  His  little  heart  is  hungry 
for  motherly  love  and  fatherly  friendship.  As  was 
said  in  another  chapter,  a  Boys'  Club  provides  that 
thing  which  a  boy  needs  most, — a  friend.  Every 
one  of  the  teachers  at  the  Boys'  Club  becomes  the 
personal  friend  of  those  boys  under  his  charge.  A 
Boys'  Club  should  be  a  place  where  the  boy  feels 
perfectly  at  home.  The  Chicago  Boys'  Club,  at  least, 
is  patterned  entirely  on  the  plan  of  the  home.  All 
of  its  workers  are  Christian  men  and  women  whose 
pure  and  true  characters  are  the  result  of  their  being 
brought  up  amid  the  culture,  the  refinement  and  the 
inspiring  atmosphere  of  Christian  homes.  These 
Christian  men  and  women  feel  it  to  be  their  duty  and 
their  privilege  to  pass  on  to  others  who  have  not  had 
their  advantages,  the  uplifting  influences  which  they 
have  obtained  from  their  Christian  homes. 

Although  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  does  not  keep 
its  members  over  night,  or  regularly  feed  and  clothe 
them,  yet  it  is  essentially  a  home  and  practically  the 
only  home  which  is  available  for  the  thousands  of  boys 
who  yearly  enter  its  doors.  The  members  of  this  Club 
are  subject  to  the  uplifting  influence  of  its  teachers 
for  as  much  of  each  day  as  the  average  child  of 
school  age  who  has  a  good  home  is  subject  to  its  in- 
fluence. Over  all  of  those  who  are  its  regular  mem- 
bers, the  Boys'  Club  has  a  stronger  influence  for  good 


1 24  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

than  do  either  their  homes  or  their  street  surround- 
ings for  evil,  for  it  occupies  more  of  their  time  and 
engages  more  of  their  interests.  While  in  their 
homes,  the  boys  of  the  slums  come  in  contact  with 
profanity,  drunkenness,  immorality  and  everything 
that  is  low  and  debasing ;  on  the  street  they  are  met 
and  enticed  by  everything  that  is  flashy,  sensational 
and  tending  to  crime.  The  Boys'  Club  not  only 
keeps  these  boys  away  from  the  debasing  influence  of 
their  homes  and  the  demoralizing  influence  of  the 
street ;  but  it  provides  for  them  a  Christian  atmos- 
phere, an  inspiring  helpfulness — in  short,  a  Christian 
home  ;  and  that,  when  universally  applied,  is  without 
doubt,  the  only  hope  for  the  future  of  our  nation. 

Mr.  Robert  E.  Speer  has  said  :  "  There  are  15,000- 
ooo  boys  marching  on  to  manhood  in  the  United 
States.  Tramp,  tramp,  tramp,  they  go,  while  whole 
divisions  of  the  church  sleep  or  feast  in  camp.  Soon 
they  will  be  fortified  with  cares  and  unbelief,  and  then 
we  shall  storm  their  stronghold  with  much  ado  and 
small  results.  The  tares  will  not  wait  nor  evil  cease 
to  work,  and  steadily  destiny  is  being  made. 

'  No  change  in  childhood's  early  day, 
No  storms  that  raged,  no  thoughts  that  ran, 
But  leaves  a  track  upon  the  clay 
That  slowly  hardens  into  man.'  " 

The  minds  and  hearts  of  a  large  proportion  of  these 
15,000,000  boys  of  our  country  are  being  tainted 
with  evil  through  contact  with  their  corrupt  homes 
and  their  evil  surroundings,  and  these  corrupting  in- 
fluences "  leave  a  track  upon  the  clay  that  slowly 


Bidding  for  the  Boy  125 

hardens  into  man."  If  this  fact  is  not  comprehended, 
consider  carefully  the  following  figures.  Mr.  Jacob 
A.  Riis  once  investigated  the  cases  of  seventy-eight 
persons  who  had  been  arrested  in  New  York  for 
crime.  Among  these  seventy-eight,  fifty  were  boys 
under  fifteen,  guilty  of  all  kinds  of  crime.  "  In  1890 
there  were,  in  the  Federal  prisons  of  this  country, 
seven  hundred  and  eleven  boys  under  fourteen,  and 
eight  thousand,  nine  hundred  and  eighty-four  boys 
between  fourteen  and  nineteen.  In  Texas  in  1902,  of 
over  four  thousand  prisoners,  one-half  were  under 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  There  were  as  many  pris- 
oners between  fourteen  and  twenty-five  as  there  were 
between  twenty-five  and  fifty.  In  Georgia  in  1902, 
fourteen  hundred  out  of  twenty-three  hundred  pris- 
oners were  under  twenty-four.  It  was  estimated  that 
seven-eighths  of  the  prison  population  of  Georgia  be- 
gan a  criminal  career  before  they  were  twenty-three." 
Then  consider  the  statement  recently  made  by  State's 
Attorney,  John  J.  Healy  of  Illinois.  In  a  letter  to 
the  superintendent  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club,  he 
wrote  :  "  At  least  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  boys  and  men 
with  whom  the  Criminal  Courts  of  the  county  (Cook 
County,  which  includes  Chicago)  deal,  come  from 
localities  similar  to  those  in  which  your  Club  is  now 
working." 

One  great  reason  why  so  large  a  percentage  of  the 
criminals  come  from  localities  similar  to  those  in 
which  this  institution  is  working,  is  that  the  cheap 
theatres,  the  dime  museums,  the  gambling  dens  and 
the  penny  arcades  which  here  abound  on  every 


126  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

hand,  are  leading  the  children  of  the  streets  and  the 
waifs  of  the  slums  into  lives  of  crime  by  means  of 
the  vulgar  pictures,  the  criminal  scenes,  and  the  ex- 
citing exposures  which  are  there  depicted  before 
them.  So,  in  every  community  where  these  things 
abound,  and  where  the  conditions  which  call  them 
forth,  exist,  there  ought  to  be  at  least  one  Boys' 
Club  to  extend  an  inviting,  interesting,  satisfying 
welcome  to  all  who  need  its  help.  The  penny  ar- 
cades and  cheap  theatres  of  every  city  are  mostly  lo- 
cated along  the  chief  thoroughfares.  They  are,  of 
course,  the  most  numerous  in  Chicago  in  the  down- 
town district  and  on  its  main  thoroughfare,  State 
Street.  Elsewhere  in  the  city,  they  are  mostly  lo- 
cated along  Halsted  Street,  Milwaukee  A  venue,  North 
Clark  Street  and  West  Madison  Street,  and  wherever 
they  are  located  in  abundance,  there  you  will  find 
slum  conditions  and  there  the  youth  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood will  be  found  growing  up  into  habits  of 
crime  and  wrong-doing. 

A  Boys'  Club  which  furnishes  wholesome  amuse- 
ment, active  industry,  and  a  homelike  Christian  at- 
mosphere, is,  we  repeat,  the  most  practical  and  the 
most  potent  means  by  which  the  evil  influence  of 
cheap  theatres  and  penny  arcades  can  be  overcome. 
We  must  "  overcome  evil  with  good."  If  we  are  to 
save  the  wandering  ones  of  the  world,  we  must  "  re- 
lease virtues  "  as  well  as  "  suppress  vices  "  and  for 
the  releasing  of  the  virtues  which  lie  dormant  in  all 
the  children  of  the  slums,  a  Boys'  Club  is  the  best 
means  ever  yet  devised. 


"  Give  me  the  mothers  of  the 
country  to  educate  and  you 
may  do  what  you  please  with 
the  boys." — Garibaldi. 

VIII 
THE  GIRLS  AND  THEIR  NEEDS 

HITHERTO  in  these  pages,  our  thoughts  have  been 
centred  upon  the  problem  of  the  boy  of  the  street 
and  the  slums. 

The  boys,  truly,  are  most  in  evidence,  and  their 
needs  seem  to  be  the  most  urgent ;  but  few  stop  to 
think  that  these  boys  have,  or  once  had,  mothers, 
and  that  these  mothers  did  not  all  bear  only  male 
children.  No,  these  boys  of  the  street  have  sisters, 
and  these  sisters  are  growing  up  as  well  as  the  boys. 
There  is  a  girl  problem  in  our  cities  as  well  as  a  boy 
problem,  and  neither  of  them  has  as  yet  been  solved. 

As  was  shown  in  the  preceding  chapter,  the  in- 
fluence of  the  homes  from  which  street  children  come 
is  but  little,  if  any,  better  for  them  than  the  influence 
of  the  street.  The  girls  are  not  found  as  much 
(  although  far  too  much  )  upon  the  street  as  are  the 
boys  ;  but  they,  even  more  than  the  boys,  are  subject 
to  the  corrupting  influence  of  the  home  and  its  sur- 
roundings. 

Some  time  ago  a  little  girl,  one  of  the  members  of 
the  Girls'  Department,  died.  The  Friendly  Visitors 
were  called  upon  to  help  with  the  funeral.  The 
girl's  home  was  in  a  large  slum  tenement  on  South 
State  Street ;  a  tenement  where  negro,  Jew,  Italian 

127 


128  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

and  half-breed  are  all  crowded  together,  more  in  dens 
and  stys  than  in  homes.  Here  neighbours  are  not  those 
who  live  across  the  street  or  in  the  next  door  yard, 
but  across  the  hall  or  in  the  next  room.  The  neigh- 
bours it  was,  and  not  the  parents,  who  called  for  aid. 
The  Friendly  Visitors  of  the  Club,  upon  arriving  at 
the  "  home  "  in  response  to  the  call,  found  the  father 
and  mother  of  the  dead  child  both  lying  in  senseless 
heaps  upon  the  floor,  "  dead  drunk."  The  older 
brother,  upon  hearing  of  his  sister's  death,  made  his 
escape.  No  member  of  the  family  was  in  a  condition 
to  know  whether  the  girl  were  living  or  dead.  Far 
better  to  be  dead,  or  to  be  an  orphan  and  a'n  outcast 
than  to  live  in  such  a  home,  we  all  say. 

Miss  Horton,  in  her  book,  "  The  Burden  of  the 
City,"  after  speaking  of  the  low  dive,  the  gambling 
den,  the  saloon,  the  cheap  theatre  and  the  dime 
museum,  all  of  which  are  making  their  bid  for  the 
present  and  the  future  of  the  boy,  says  :  "  Mean- 
time, what  of  the  girl  ?  She  has  her  own  besetments, 
but  they  centre  more  about  the  home.  She  may  be 
locked  either  in  or  out  when  the  mother  goes  to  her 
work,  but  if  out  she  will  not  wander  so  free  and  far 
as  her  brother.  But  the  home  itself  is  a  source  of 
danger." 

The  tenements  where  the  "  other  half  "  live,  says 
Jacob  Riis,  "  touch  family  life  with  a  deadly  moral 
contagion." 

The  girls  in  the  homes,  like  the  boys  on  the  street, 
are  forced  to  bear  the  brunt  of  life  before  their 
strength  is  at  all  able  to  bear  it.  There  are  young 


The  Girls  and  Their  Needs  129 

"  child  mothers  "  in  the  slums,  taking  care  of  baby 
brother  or  sister  before  they  are  themselves  much 
more  than  babies  :  "  The  last  baby  is  left  to  the  care 
of  the  other  babies." 

Go  with  the  Friendly  Visitors  of  the  Club  on  their 
rounds  in  and  out  of  the  homes  and  hovels  of  the 
poor,  see  the  conditions  that  exist  there,  and  tell  us 
if  the  girls  are  safe  where  they  are.  Go,  for  ex- 
ample, into  the  building  on  La  Salle  Street  known  as 
"  The  Barracks."  This  is  a  building  divided  into 
twenty-two  flats,  each  flat  meant  to  contain  a  family, 
each  family  meant  to  occupy  three  rooms.  Yet  here 
there  are  living,  the  year  round,  from  forty  to  fifty 
families.  The  building  is  a  little  town  in  itself.  Its 
average  population  is  1 50,  of  whom  one-half  or  one- 
third  are  children  under  twelve  years  of  age.  In  the 
basement  is  a  saloon  and  grocery,  patronized  solely, 
or  almost  so,  by  the  inhabitants  of  this  one  building. 
This  saloon  and  this  store,  however,  are  not  two  es- 
tablishments, but  one  and  the  same,  for  beer  in  these 
parts  is  a  staple  article.  In  no  one  of  these  families 
is  there  less  than  two,  and  in  several  of  them,  as 
many  as  eight  persons,  occupying  one,  or  at  the  best, 
two  rooms,  lodgers  included.  Here,  father,  mother, 
grandfather,  grandmother,  uncle  or  aunt,  lodgers, 
visitors,  children  and  all,  sleep,  eat,  live,  multiply  and 
breed  crime  together. 

Where,  you  ask,  do  the  children  play?  Their 
playground  is  on  the  street  and  in  the  alley.  There 
is  no  room  for  them  in  the  home. 

On  wash  day, — and  with  many  of  them  every  day 


130  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

is  wash  day  or  ironing  day, — every  inch  of  space  in 
the  room  is  occupied  with  clothes  hung  up,  on  inter- 
lacing lines,  to  dry. 

In  such  a  home,  a  child,  unless  he  can  help  with 
the  work,  is  a  nuisance.  The  boys  find  their  way  to 
the  street,  the  docks  and  the  news  alley;  but  the 
girls,  what  of  them  ?  They  also  have  their  "  school 
of  crime,"  and  in  the  courts  of  the  city  every  day 
graduates  of  this  school  are  having  their  commence- 
ments, and  young  learners  in  this  school  are  receiv- 
ing their  grades. 

Many  of  the  warmest  supporters  of  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club  and  of  its  new  branch,  the  Girls'  Club,  are 
men  who  have  sat  upon  the  grand  juries,  and  women 
who  are  familiar  with  the  records  of  the  Juvenile 
Court.  Those  who  have  seen  the  results  of  the  awful 
conditions  above  described,  and  have  heard  the  sad 
tales  told  in  the  courts  every  day,  of  sin,  of  shame 
and  of  moral  depravity,  which  no  tongue  dare  repeat 
and  to  which  no  unstained  ear  dares  to  listen,  are 
alive  with  interest  towards  any  agency  which  prom- 
ises to  improve  these  conditions  or  to  prevent  these 
results. 

From  the  first,  the  managers  of  the  Chicago  Boys' 
Club  have  realized  the  needs  of  these  girls  and  have 
known  something  of  the  grave  dangers  which  con- 
front them.  In  the  early  days  of  the  work,  the  ex- 
periment was  made  of  opening  the  rooms  of  the 
Boys'  Club  at  certain  restricted  hours  for  the  girls. 
This,  however,  was  soon  found  to  be  impracticable. 
After  this  practice  was  discontinued,  for  some  time 


The  Girls  and  Their  Needs  131 

the  sisters  of  the  Jimmies,  the  Tonics  and  the  Sollies 
of  the  Boys'  Club  were  admitted  to  the  entertainments 
and  religious  meetings  of  the  club,  along  with  their 
brothers ;  but  this  also  was  soon  found  to  have  its 
evil  effects. 

Each  of  these  experiments,  however,  brought  the 
workers  into  closer  touch  with  the  girl  problem,  and 
showed  clearly  that  something  must  eventually  be 
done  to  save  them.  Yet  how  to  go  about  it  and 
how  to  provide  the  means  and  the  helpers  to  carry 
on  the  work  was  the  question.  The  clamour  of  the 
girls  for  a  place  and  their  eagerness  for  attention  was 
all  the  time  increasing,  and  all  the  time  the  needs  in 
the  lives  of  the  girls  themselves  becoming  more 
apparent. 

So  one  day  in  1905,  a  meeting  of  the  workers  was 
called  to  discuss  the  question  of  the  girls  and  their 
needs. 

Without  going  into  the  details  of  the  meeting, 
suffice  it  here  to  say  that,  as  an  outcome  of  this  con- 
ference, rooms  were  soon  procured  and  a  place  was 
opened  for  the  girls. 

This  began,  as  did  the  Boys'  Club,  in  a  small  way. 
At  first,  a  ten-room  flat  was  rented  on  State  Street 
and  sewing  classes  were  inaugurated  as  a  "  point  of 
contact "  into  the  lives  and  hearts  of  the  girls. 

This  work  has  grown  until  now  classes  are  pro- 
vided in  sewing,  cutting,  darning  and  mending,  in 
cooking,  basket-weaving,  bookbinding  and  physical 
culture,  besides  an  every-day  kindergarten,  a  Sab- 
bath-school, and  mother's  meetings. 


132  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

The  daily  class  in  cooking,  besides  its  value  as  a 
"  point  of  contact/'  is  in  itself  a  thing  of  immense 
value  and  promise. 

All  social  workers  and  writers  agree  that  the 
primary  source  of  all  good  and  evil  and  the  key  to 
all  reform  lies  in  the  home. 

Reformers  have  arisen,  trying  to  change  the  homes 
outwardly,  to  produce  better  housing,  better  sanita- 
tion, better  environment ;  and  some  of  them  doubt- 
less, as  in  the  case  of  Jacob  Riis  in  New  York,  have 
done  a  great  and  lasting  work  ;  but  even  beyond  this, 
there  is  the  necessity  of  changing  the  character  and 
the  ideals  of  the  people  themselves. 

People,  as  a  rule,  do  not  dwell  in  filthy,  crowded 
slums  because  they  are  too  poor  to  afford  better  ac- 
commodations ;  but  largely  because  they  are  too 
ignorant  and  too  incompetent  to  rightly  use  what 
they  have.  As  a  writer  has  said :  "  No  one  lives 
more  lavishly  and  knows  less  how  to  save  than  the 
poor.  Their  expense  account  is  not  based  on  a 
sanitary  or  monetary  basis,  but  shapes  itself  accord- 
ing to  temporary  income.  '  Plenty  of  money  in  the 
house '  and  rent  day  far  in  the  distance,  and  many 
families  will  absolutely  gorge  themselves  at  table 
with  food  and  drink,  only  to  return  on  perhaps  the 
very  next  day  to  tea  and  dry  bread.  For  this  rea- 
son," he  continues,  "  no  social  movements  are 
worthier  of  hearty  support  than  those  carried  on  to 
teach  children,  and  especially  girls,  '  How  to  keep 
house.'  Teach  them  «  how  to  keep  house  '  and  they 
will  make  homes."  Yes,  if  they  know  how,  they 


The  Girls  and  Their  Needs  133 

will  make  homes,  neat,  cheery  and  attractive,  out  of 
what  are  now  the  most  ill-kept  homes  and  the  most 
repulsive  hovels.  The  trouble  in  the  slums  lies  in 
ignorance  and  lack  of  character,  fully  as  much  as  in 
unavoidable  poverty  and  surrounding  adverse  con- 
ditions. In  most  instances,  the  homes  are  squalid 
because  the  mothers  there  are  shiftless  and  ignorant 
and  incapable. 

In  proof  of  this  responsibility  of  the  mothers,  may 
be  cited  the  case  of  a  home  on  Sherman  Street  in 
Chicago.  In  the  midst  of  dirt  and  neglect  in  the 
"  homes  "  all  about  her,  here  is  a  beautiful,  hardwork- 
ing Italian  woman  who  supports  three  children  and 
a  drunken  husband.  Her  one  room,  in  size  only  ten 
by  twelve  feet,  is  always  kept  in  a  condition  of  per- 
fect neatness.  Her  children  are  always  clean  and 
tidy.  A  smile  of  contentment  rests  upon  her  face 
and  the  radiance  which  betokens  efficiency  is  over 
all  that  she  handles  in  the  house.  Instead  of  the 
sullen  look  and  the  squalid  surroundings  which  ac- 
company the  ordinary  woman  of  the  slums,  here  are 
decency  and  thrift,  and  those  under  the  most  adverse 
circumstances. 

Surely  when  society  comes  to  recognize  that  the 
conditions  as  they  exist  in  the  slums  are  due  largely 
to  the  individual  characters  who  occupy  the  slums, 
an  attempt  will  be  made  to  make  better  women  to 
manage  the  homes  as  well  as  to  make  better  homes 
to  shelter  the  women. 

In  more  instances  than  one,  the  Friendly  Visitors 
sent  out  by  the  Boys'  Club  have  carried  the  gospel 


134  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

of  a  new  life  to  these  mothers  in  the  slums ;  they 
have  accepted  the  message,  gotten  themselves  cleaned 
up  on  the  inside,  and  then,  like  a  miracle,  the  dirty, 
trash-strewn  homes  and  the  seemingly  hopeless  sur- 
roundings have  been  changed. 

Truly  the  desert  can  be  made  to  "  blossom  as  the 
rose,"  and  wherever  the  women  themselves  have 
been  changed  these  "  cases  "  are  to  be  found.  Yet, 
sad  though  the  fact  be,  to  transform  the  women,  and 
through  them  their  surroundings,  is  in  most  cases,  a 
hopeless  task.  The  only  sure  hope,  in  which  there 
is  certainty  of  returns,  lies  in  the  mothers-to-be. 

To  take  hold  of  them  and  train  them  to  be  the 
home-makers  of  the  future,  that  is  the  task  that 
needs  to  be  done.  Who  can  estimate  the  value  of 
training  up  a  girl,  brought  up  in  a  slum  home,  so 
that  she  can,  at  little  expense,  set  an  attractive  table, 
prepare  wholesome  and  appetizing  dishes,  keep  a 
neat  and  homelike  home,  and  thus  invent  a  satis- 
factory substitute  for  the  beer,  the  brutality  and  the 
unhomelikeness  of  the  ordinary  tenement  abode  ? 

Jacob  Riis,  that  ever-applicable  writer  on  subjects 
such  as  these,  has  said :  "  Cooking  is  the  only  kind 
of  temperance  preaching  that  counts  for  anything 
in  a  school  course. — A  not  inconsiderable  amount  of 
the  prevalent  intemperance  can  be  traced  to  poor 
food  and  unattractive  home  tables.  The  toasting 
fork  in  Jacob's  sister's  hand  beats  preaching  in  the 
campaign  against  the  saloon  just  as  the  Boys'  Club 
beats  the  policeman's  club  in  fighting  the  gang." 

The  saloon  in  the  slums  makes  an  almost  irresisti- 


The  Girls  and  Their  Needs  135 

ble  call  to  the  man  of  the  tenements  through  the 
sociability,  the  warmth,  the  room  and  the  welcome 
which  it  offers  him ;  while  the  home  with  its  repul- 
siveness,  its  squalor,  its  crowded  condition,  and  the 
insufficiency  and  unwholesomeness  of  the  food  which 
it  offers  is  a  place  to  be  avoided.  These  things  be- 
ing as  they  are,  who  can  blame  the  man  of  the  slums 
for  frequenting  the  saloon  more  than  he  does  his  own 
place  of  abode  ? 

Not  a  third  of  the  families  of  the  slums,  as  the 
Friendly  Visitors  of  the  Club  see  them  in  the  Levee 
district  of  Chicago,  and  in  "  Little  Hell "  and  "  Smoky 
Hollow,"  ever  sit  down  together  to  a  family  meal. 
The  following  as  viewed  by  the  writer  is  not  an  ex- 
treme or  an  uncommon  case.  It  is  the  picture  of  an 
Italian  home.  It  was  meal  time ;  yet  there  was  no 
table  set,  no  family  gathering  around  a  convivial 
board,  no  signs  of  family  life  and  love  such  as  those 
with  which  we  of  more  favourable  circumstances  are 
familiar.  The  one  room  served  as  kitchen,  dining 
room,  sitting  room,  parlour,  bedroom  and  laundry. 
One  man,  the  head  of  the  household,  sat  at  the 
table ;  the  wife  stood  over  the  stove  cooking  an  un- 
savory dish  of  sausage  ;  the  children,  five  in  number, 
hung  about  the  mother  as  she  worked.  The  meal 
consisted  of  a  large  pitcher  of  cheap  beer,  a  basket  of 
dry  bread  crusts, — the  leavings  from  some  store  or 
restaurant, — and  the  sausage  before  named.  There 
were  no  butter,  no  tempting  dishes  on  the  table,  and 
but  one  knife  and  a  plate  from  which  the  whole  family 
was  fed. 


136  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

As  the  man  gorged  down  the  unwholesome  viands 
for  himself,  he  handed  out  a  greasy  sausage  and  a 
crust  of  bread  to  each  of  the  five  children,  and  poured 
out  glass  after  glass  of  the  beer  even  to  the  small- 
est, a  deformed  little  chap  less  than  two  years  of 
age. 

The  children  all  took  the  food  in  their  unwashed 
fingers  and  ran  out  and  ate  it  on  the  street.  There 
are  other  "  homes  "  where  even  the  table  is  missing, 
and  families  have  been  seen  to  eat  their  potatoes  and 
their  bread  directly  from  the  floor.  What  wonder 
that  such  a  "  meal"  leaves  the  children  as  well  as  the 
man  with  an  "  intense  gnawing  at  the  stomach  which 
only  beer  can  satisfy." 

These  conditions  may  be  outwardly  changed  by 
building  model  tenement  houses  and  enforcing  build- 
ing laws ;  and  yet  the  inmates  of  these  improved 
houses  will  know  no  better  how  to  live  than  before, 
and  "  The  hog  that  was  washed  will  return  to  his 
wallowing  in  the  mire."  It  is  clear  that  it  remains 
in  a  large  degree  with  the  mothers, — if  not  of  this 
generation  of  the  next, — to  alter  these  conditions. 

By  training  slum  girls  to  cook  and  in  preparing 
them  for  the  responsibilities  of  motherhood,  as  is 
being  done  at  the  Girls'  Department  of  this  Boys' 
Club,  not  only  is  there  an  inestimable  amount  of  sin 
and  crime  prevented  in  the  lives  of  those  who  are  to 
be  dependent  upon  them,  but  also  they  themselves 
are  prevented  from  going  into  lives  of  shame. 

The  fact  is,  as  evidenced  by  many  authorities,  that 
a  large  proportion  of  the  girls,  who  go  down  in  the 


The  Girls  and  Their  Needs  137 

battle  of  life,  do  so  largely  because  they  have  no 
other  means  of  livelihood. 

A  thing  that  is  greatly  needed  in  Chicago  is  a 
school  where  girls  from  the  poorest  homes  may  be 
given,  free  of  charge,  training  in  cooking,  sewing, 
laundry-work,  dressmaking,  millinery,  and  other 
trades  as  their  needs  may  require. 

This  should  not  be  merely  an  industrial  school, 
where  work  is  done  for  work's  sake,  but  a  Trade 
School,  where  poor  girls  are  actually  fitted  for  the 
battle  of  life  and  the  struggle  against  poverty. 

Such  a  school  has  been  founded  in  New  York 
City,  and  in  the  four  years  of  its  existence,  it  has 
abundantly  proven  its  value,  and  demonstrated  its 
practicability  by  a  most  wonderful  growth  and  suc- 
cess. 

It  is  necessary  to  open  homes  of  refuge  and  asylums 
for  fallen  women ;  but  it  is  far  better  and  much  more 
important  to  relieve  the  conditions  which  cause  these 
women  to  fall.  A  girl  who  has  every  tendency  and 
influence  to  go  wrong,  but  has  been  prevented  from 
doing  so,  has  ten  chances  to  one  in  her  favour  over 
the  one  who  has  fallen  and  has  been  "  reformed." 

It  is  the  stigma  of  the  reform-school,  the  mark  of 
the  culprit,  that  must  be  removed,  and  this  is  to  be 
accomplished  by  prevention  rather  than  by  cure. 

Although  the  Chicago  Girls'  Club  has  thus  far 
made  but  a  small  beginning  on  this  mighty  work,  yet 
it  has  made  a  beginning  from  which  great  things  are 
expected  to  grow. 

If  it  is  true  that  "  coming  events  cast  their  shadows 


138  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

before,"  and  if  the  progress  of  the  work  thus  far  made 
among  the  boys  is  a  portent  of  what  the  future  of 
this  girl's  work  shall  be,  we  may  well  hope  that  in  a 
few  years  these  features  of  the  work,  so  much  needed, 
will  be  a  living  fact. 


"The  success  of  the  Boys' 
Club  work  will  depend  largely 
upon  the  efficiency  of  these 
Friendly  Visitors." —  Willis 
W.  Cooper. 

IX 
WOMEN  VISITORS  IN  THE  HOMES 

THE  women  visitors  employed  by  this  institution 
are  classed  as  Friendly  Visitors  and  Visiting  Nurses. 
A  "  Friendly  Visitor "  is  a  person  who  has  been 
brought  up  in  a  cultured  home,  who  loves  order, 
cleanliness,  honesty  and  decency  ;  but  who  is  willing 
to  give  up  her  comfortable  home  and  her  aesthetic 
tastes  to  go  down  among  the  corruption  and  the  filth, 
the  squalor  and  the  vice  of  a  city's  slums  and  carry 
into  the  midst  of  these  "  homes  "  the  sweetness  of 
her  Christian  life  and  the  transforming  influence  of 
her  busy,  helpful  hands. 

A  "  Visiting  Nurse  "  is  a  person  who  has  been 
trained  in  mind  and  hand  and  heart  to  relieve  the 
sufferings  of  the  sick  and  to  nurse  the  dying  back  to 
health.  She  is  one  who  is  willing  to  go  with  her 
helping  hand  and  her  loving  heart  wherever  there  is 
a  suffering  one  and  to  those  who  need  her  most,  ir- 
respective of  their  creed  or  colour,  age  or  beauty, 
poverty  or  health,  sin  or  sainthood,  worthiness  or 
ingratitude. 

The  work  of  Friendly  Visitation  in  connection 
with  this  institution  was  begun  in  this  way :  in  the 
early  part  of  the  Club's  existence  a  little  boy,  a  typical 
specimen  of  the  streets,  came  into  the  Club  rooms 


140  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

with  the  shuffling,  indifferent  gait  which  is  character- 
istic of  street  waifs,  and  proceeded  to  make  himself 
at  home.  It  was  in  those  days,  and  is  still,  the  cus- 
tomary thing  to  tabulate  each  newcomer  by  taking  a 
record  of  his  name  and  address,  his  age,  nationality 
and  various  other  details.  This  was  done  in  the  case 
of  this  boy  upon  his  first  entering  the  rooms.  As 
the  new  boy  mingled  with  the  others,  his  peculiarly 
ragged  attire,  his  unkempt,  neglected  appearance  and 
his  attitude  of  bravado  and  recklessness  distinguished 
him  somewhat  from  the  others.  The  manager  of  the 
Club  became  so  much  interested  while  watching  the 
boy's  appearance  and  actions  that  he  decided  to  look 
into  the  case,  to  find  out  the  nature  of  his  home  sur- 
roundings, his  occupation  and  his  life  history.  So 
the  next  morning  he  called  one  of  his  helpers,  gave 
her  the  boy's  name  and  address,  as  it  had  been  repre- 
sented the  evening  before,  and  asked  her  to  "  look  him 
up." 

Upon  arriving  at  the  place  indicated,  the  worker 
found  that  the  boy's  home  was  nothing  but  the  top 
part  of  an  old  covered  delivery  wagon  which  had 
been  removed  from  its  wheels  and  placed  in  the 
alley.  The  fact  was  revealed  that  during  the  daytime 
he  earned  his  scanty  living  by  blacking  boots  and 
doing  odd  jobs. 

A  few  days  after  the  boy's  first  appearance  at  the 
Club  and  after  the  inspection  of  his  "  home  "  by  the 
visitor,  the  Superintendent  found  him  on  the  street 
just  outside  the  Club  building.  Desiring  to  become 
better  acquainted^with  the  boy,  he  reached  forward  his 


Women  Visitors  in  the  Homes         141 

foot  and  said,  "  Give  me  a  shine."  In  an  instant  the 
clumsy  bootblacking  outfit  was  down  from  his 
shoulder  and  he  was  at  his  task  with  a  will.  As  the 
boy  worked  he  was  asked,  "  Where  do  you  live  ?  " 
"  Don't  live  nowhere,"  was  the  response.  When 
asked, "  How  do  you  make  your  living  ?  "  he  answered 
laconically,  "  Shinin'."  Knowing  already  from  the 
description  of  the  visitor  about  the  boy's  dwelling 
place,  the  Superintendent  asked, "  What  will  you  do 
when  it  gets  cold  ?  You  can't  live  in  that  wagon  all 
winter,  can  you?"  The  answer  came,  apparently 
without  a  thought  that  there  was  any  other  way  to 
live,  "  Sure  I  kin !  " 

This  incident  and  others  like  it  which  occurred  at 
about  the  same  time,  revealed  the  need  of  having  some 
one  definitely  employed  to  follow  up  these  cases,  to 
study  the  conditions  and  the  needs  of  the  boys  in 
their  homes — if  they  had  any — and  thus  the  more 
successfully  to  help  them  out  of  their  difficulties. 
Thus  developed  a  department  of  the  work  which  has 
become  one  of  the  most  important  and  successful 
factors  in  finding  a  Way  Out  for  the  Waifs  of  the 
Slums.  There  are  many  cases  of  children  who  have 
run  away  or  been  driven  away  from  home.  They 
drift  into  the  Club  rooms,  and  the  Friendly  Visitors 
are  used  to  trace  up  their  parents  and  restore  them  to 
their  homes. 

One  morning  a  policeman  brought  in  two  little 
boys  whom  he  had  found  on  a  cold  winter  day, 
huddling  together  for  warmth  in  the  doorway  of  a 
building  on  State  Street.  The  two  boys  looked  to  be 


142  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

about  seven  and  nine  years  of  age.  Both  were  as 
dirty  as  the  ground  itself.  After  tracing  up  their 
parents,  it  was  found  that  the  morning  before,  they 
had  been  driven  from  their  home  by  a  brutal,  drunken 
mother  and  had  spent  the  day  wandering  aimlessly 
in  the  streets.  By  nightfall  they  had  found  their 
way  into  the  furnace  room  of  a  large  building  where 
they  were  allowed  to  spend  the  night  sleeping  beside 
the  boilers.  The  next  morning,  being  dismissed  from 
there,  they  wandered  across  the  city  to  State  Street 
and  crept  into  the  sheltering  doorway  where  they 
were  soon  found  by  the  policeman.  Before  sending 
the  boys  home,  they  were  both  given  a  warm  bath 
and  a  good  rubbing,  they  were  fitted  out  with  new 
and  warm  clothing,  and  fed  the  only  meal  they  had 
eaten  for  twenty-four  hours. 

To  try  to  save  a  child  without  a  knowledge  of  his 
home  conditions,  is  little  more  than  useless.  Friendly 
Visitation  provides  the  connecting  link  between  the 
Club  and  the  home.  A  boy  that  is  unruly,  or  sulky 
in  the  Club  rooms  cannot  be  rightly  understood  and 
wisely  dealt  with  until  his  home  has  been  visited. 
There  usually,  and  only  there,  can  the  cause  of  his 
moods  be  ascertained.  For  instance,  an  Italian  boy 
who  was  the  most  incorrigible  and  fiery-tempered, 
and  for  a  long  time  had  been  almost  uncontrollable 
at  the  Club,  was  followed  to  his  home.  He  lived  in 
a  large,  crowded  tenement  house  on  Custom  House 
Place.  As  the  visitors  entered  the  room  of  his  abode, 
they  found  this  boy  and  his  older  brother  both  tied 
up  with  small  ropes  bound  tightly  around  their  naked 


Women  Visitors  in  the  Homes         143 

arms  and  lower  limbs.  They  had  been  left  this  way 
without  food  for  an  entire  day.  When  they  were  re- 
leased, both  of  them  had  great  welts  and  deep  sores 
in  their  flesh  where  the  sharp-cutting  ropes  had 
mangled  them  as  they  wildly  struggled  for  escape. 
This  and  subsequent  like  treatment  which  the  boy 
was  found  to  receive  in  his  "  home  "  soon  convinced 
the  workers  that  he  was  not  much  to  blame  for  his 
temper,  and  that  kind  and  sympathetic  treatment 
would  do  him  more  good  than  force  and  compulsion. 
As  was  stated  in  another  chapter,  to  understand  the 
boy's  case,  to  find  the  causes  for  his  actions  and  his 
temperament,  is  the  first  requirement  for  really  help- 
ing him,  and  this  can  be  done,  usually,  only  by  be- 
coming familiar  with  his  home  life. 

Another  case  to  the  point  is  that  of  little  Sollie,  a 
Jewish  boy.  An  inexperienced  teacher  of  one  of  the 
Club's  evening  classes  had  visited  Sollie's  home  and 
unwisely  told  his  parents  that  the  effort  of  the  Club 
was  to  change  their  boy  into  a  Christian.  At  this 
announcement,  the  astonished  parent  raised  both 
hands  in  horror  and  exclaimed  :  "  Ach !  Pefore  I  let 
my  poy  pe  a  Ghristian,  I  tie  a  rock  round  his  neck 
and  drown  him  in  de  river  ! "  Immediately  after  this 
visit,  it  became  noticeable  that  Sollie,  who  had  before 
been  a  most  regular  and  enthusiastic  attendant  at  the 
Club,  came  but  seldom  and  when  he  did  come,  his 
manner  and  his  behaviour  were  entirely  changed. 
He  became  furtive  and  shy  and  rebellious.  This 
change  in  the  boy  was  evidently  due  to  the  fact  that 
his  Hebrew  father  had  strenuously  forbidden  him  to 


144  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

go  again  to  the  Club.  In  this  one  case,  the  boy  was 
soon  lost  to  the  influence  of  the  Club  through  the 
blunder  of  its  untactful  worker ;  but  in  many  other 
cases,  the  Jewish  parents  have  been  brought  into 
cooperation  with  the  Club  through  the  agency  of 
the  Friendly  Visitors  who  make  themselves  the  friends 
of  the  parents  and  their  helpers  and  counsellors  in 
time  of  need.  These  Friendly  Visitors,  also,  after 
they  have  become  acquainted  and  won  their  way 
into  the  hearts  and  confidence  of  the  grown  people, 
tell  them,  as  well  as  their  children,  about  the  Saviour 
and  pray  with  them  in  their  homes. 

Now,  in  many  instances,  these  very  Jewish 
women  send  for  the  Visitors  to  come  and  pray  for 
them  and  their  friends  in  time  of  death  or  in  other 
distresses. 

In  order  to  help  the  child,  some  interest  must 
certainly  be  taken  in  the  parent ;  indeed,  one  worker, 
who  has  given  much  time  to  Friendly  Visitation  in 
another  city,  has  said  :  "  When  I  see  a  needy  child, 
I  no  longer  say,  I  will  help  that  child,  but  I  will  make 
that  child's  mother  my  friend  until  she,  herself,  can 
and  will  and  does  help  the  child."  Although  it  is 
a  hopeless  task  to  transform  the  average  woman  of  the 
slums  into  a  capable,  efficient  mother,  there  are  a  few 
instances  in  which  it  has  been  done.  At  one  time, 
a  poor  woman  was  found  dwelling  in  a  reeking  den 
of  vice.  Although  she  was  married,  her  husband 
was  living  and  her  children  were  about  her,  still  she 
was  an  inmate  of  a  house  of  prostitution.  The 
Friendly  Visitors  rescued  her  from  this  horrible  life, 


Women  Visitors  in  the  Homes         145* 

restored  her  to  her  home  and  her  children,  showed 
her  the  way  into  a  life  of  purity  and  faith,  and  found 
her  employment  so  that  she  herself  could  and  would 
and  did  provide  for  her  own  children,  and  her  faithful 
motherly  influence  is  now  shielding  them  from  all 
danger.  A  few  such  samples  as  this  are  available  to 
show  that  the  mothers  can,  in  certain  instances,  be 
reached  and  prepared  to  care  for  their  children  as  no 
one  else  can ;  but  it  is  just  as  often  true  that  only 
by  helping  the  children,  can  the  parents  be  reached. 
For  instance,  there  was  a  Jewish  woman  who  owned 
and  personally  tended  a  saloon  among  the  many 
"  low  joints  "  on  South  State  Street.  Her  five  boys, 
ranging  in  ages  from  four  to  fourteen  years,  were 
early  members  of  the  Boys'  Club.  Many  times  this 
Hebrew  mother  was  visited  in  her  home  near  the 
saloon,  but  seemingly,  no  impression  for  good  could 
be  made  upon  her.  In  the  meantime,  her  children 
were  being  loved  and  trained  and  taught  a  higher 
standard  of  life  by  the  teachers  at  the  Club.  These 
children  carried  home  with  them  the  influence  of 
these  teachings  and  gradually  revealed  to  the  mother, 
in  their  simple  language,  the  evils  of  the  business  in 
which  she  was  engaged.  Finally  when  real  good  was 
accomplished,  it  was  not  brought  about  by  the  direct 
influence  of  the  visitors  in  the  home,  but  through  the 
influence  of  a  child,  the  smallest  of  the  five.  It  was 
in  this  way.  After  the  club  had  closed  one  evening, 
the  five  boys  went  back  to  their  home.  Their  home, 
however,  did  not  contain  a  cozy  sitting-room  and  ex- 
tend a  warm  welcome  to  those  who  entered  ;  it  was, 


146  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

instead,  the  open  door  of  a  saloon  and  their  welcome 
consisted  of  the  ribald  songs  of  drunkenness.  Back 
of  the  bar  of  this  saloon  stood  their  mother.  She 
was,  at  the  time,  engaged  in  a  drinking  bout  with  a 
number  of  rough  men  who  made  this  place  their 

"  hang-out."     As  the  boys  entered,  little  J ,  the 

five  year  old,  a  chap  so  small  that  he  could  not  reach 
to  the  top  of  the  bar,  clambered  on  to  a  stool,  and 
reaching  out  his  little  hand,  seized  the  glass  of  foam- 
ing beer  his  mother  was  about  to  drink.  With  the 
calmness  and  courage  of  one  who  knows  he  is  right, 
he  raised  the  brimming  glass  and  hurled  it  to  the 
floor.  As  the  wrathful  mother  looked  up  at  him  in 
surprise  he  looked  her  straight  in  the  eyes  and  ex- 
claimed :  "  Dey  say  at  de  Boys'  Club,  everybody 
what  drinks  whiskey  is  bums.  My  mamma  ain't  no 
bum."  This  word  pierced  his  mother's  heart.  The 
very  next  morning  she  called  one  of  the  workers  of 
the  Club  to  her  home,  and,  after  telling  him  the  inci- 
dent, said  to  him :  "  If  that  is  the  way  my  children 
feel  about  my  business,  it's  time  I  was  getting  out  of 
it."  So  with  the  help  of  the  worker,  the  saloon  was 
closed  and  now  the  two  older  boys  of  the  family  are 
working  heroically  and  saving  diligently  to  keep  the 
wolf  from  the  door,  but  it  is  no  longer  the  door  of  a 
saloon. 

This  incident  and  the  one  before  stated,  show  the 
inter-relation  of  the  work  done  at  the  Club  itself 
with  that  done  by  the  Friendly  Visitors  in  the  homes. 
The  Club  teaching  helps  the  children  and  through 
them,  benefits  the  parents,  while  the  visitation  work 


Women  Visitors  in  the  Homes         147 

helps  the  parents  and  through  them,  benefits  the 
children. 

There  are  many  indirect  ways  of  helping  a  child. 
Probably  the  most  potent  factor  in  determining  the 
child's  life  is  the  home  and  the  nature  of  its  influence 
over  him.  So,  any  agency  that  is  brought  to  bear 
to  elevate  the  tone  and  purify  the  atmosphere  of  the 
home,  will  indirectly,  but  effectively,  help  the  child 
to  a  better  life.  To  meet  this  need,  a  Visiting  Nurse 
is  a  necessary  appendage  to  any  effectual  effort  to  find 
a  Way  Out  for  the  Waifs  of  the  Slums.  The  work 
of  the  Visiting  Nurse  is  not  only  to  relieve  physical 
suffering  and  minister  in  cases  of  disease,  but  equally 
much  to  prevent  suffering,  to  remove  the  causes 
of  disease,  and  to  make  the  home  cheerful,  and 
cleanly,  and  habitable.  To  accomplish  this  in  the 
midst  of  slum  conditions  is  no  easy  task.  A  glimpse 
at  the  conditions  as  they  exist  in  some  of  the 
"  homes  "  has  been  presented  in  the  previous  chapter. 
To  better  these  conditions,  or  to  help  their  occupants 
to  better  them,  requires  almost  infinite  tact  and 
patience  and  sympathy. 

Any  one  who  goes  among  these  humble  people  in 
an  "  I-am-holier-than-thou,"  "  let-me-teach-you  " 
spirit,  will  be  unsuccessful,  her  entrance  will  be  re- 
sented ;  but  a  real  friend  and  helper,  one  who  really 
sympathizes  with  their  lives  and  their  needs,  will  re- 
ceive a  continual  welcome. 

The  work  of  a  Visiting  Nurse  is  multifarious.  Be- 
sides her  nursing  of  the  sick,  she  must  be  an  authority 
on  questions  of  sanitation,  of  diet,  and  of  good  house- 


148  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

keeping;  she  must,  at  times,  take  hold  and  scrub  and 
clean  and  arrange  the  house  with  her  own  hands. 
She  must  keep  in  touch  with  physicians  and  hospital 
boards,  she  must  have  tact  and  know  how  to  enlist 
others  as  her  helpers ;  she  must  often  oppose  the  evil 
influence  of  long  habit  and  custom,  and  she  must  be 
the  friend  of  people  of  all  classes  and  of  all  stations  in 
life ;  but  especially,  of  the  ignorant,  the  low  and  the 
depraved.  Following  are  a  few  samples  to  show  the 
variety  of  the  tasks  which  a  nurse  is  called  upon  to 
perform. 

One  day,  the  Visiting  Nurse  entered  a  home  where 
a  child  had  consumption.  After  ministering  to  the 
child's  comfort  and  supplying  its  needs,  she  looked 
about  the  room — in  these  quarters,  one  room  com- 
prises the  home,  so  a  sanitary  inspection  is  short  and 
easy.  She  found  that  the  room  was  ill-ventilated, 
unkempt  and  foul  in  the  extreme.  The  carpet  upon 
the  floor  was  damp,  greasy  and  rotting.  The  nurse 
looked  at  the  floor  and  the  surroundings,  then  she 
looked  at  the  child  and  from  the  child  to  the  mother. 
Then  she  said  to  the  tired,  ignorant  Italian  mother, 
as  she  pointed  to  the  carpet  upon  the  floor,  "  There 
is  the  cause  of  little  Angeline's  illness.  If  you  will 
remove  that  carpet  and  scrub  the  floor  and  open  up 
the  windows,  and  give  your  little  girl  some  pure, 
fresh  air,  it  will  do  more  good  than  all  the  doctors 
can  do." 

Upon  visiting  the  house  afterwards,  the  nurse  was 
gratified  to  see  the  change  in  things  for  the  better. 

Besides  consumption,  which  is  a  prevalent  disease 


Women  Visitors  in  the  Homes         149 

of  the  tenements,  rickets  is  a  common  malady.  Once 
the  nurse  found  a  child  living  in  a  filthy,  crowded, 
one-room  tenement  home,  suffering  with  this  disease. 
Owing  to  a  lack  of  proper  nourishment,  fresh  air  and 
exercise  when  a  baby,  the  little  one's  limbs,  after  be- 
ginning to  walk,  had  become  so  bent  and  misshapen 
that  he  had  to  wear  dresses  to  cover  his  deformity. 
The  nurse  persuaded  the  mother  to  let  the  child  go 
with  her  to  a  hospital  for  treatment.  There  the 
X-Ray  was  applied  and  the  bones  were  found  to  be 
badly  deformed.  As  the  child  was  left  in  the  physi- 
cian's care  to  be  placed  in  a  plaster  cast,  he  ex- 
claimed joyfully,  "  Now  I  can  wear  pants,  can't  I, 

Miss   M ?  "     After   months  of  patient   waiting 

for  the  bones  to  form,  he  could  walk,  and  he  was  the 
proudest  and  happiest  mortal  alive  when  at  last  he 
stood  forth  in  all  his  glory,  arrayed  in  a  bran-new 
pair  of  "  pants."  The  disease  of  rickets  is  brought 
on  because  the  babies  have  been  raised  where  there 
is  insufficient  food  and  fresh  air  with  which  to  de- 
velop their  bones  and  their  muscles,  but  there  is  an- 
other disease  in  the  slums  which  is  even  harder  than 
this  to  cure  or  to  prevent.  This  is  a  disease  peculiar 
to  Italian  children.  Any  one  walking  down  a 
street  in  the  Italian  quarters  on  a  warm  summer  after- 
noon will  find,  among  the  crowds  of  children  that 
swarm  the  streets,  a  large  number  who  are  bow- 
legged.  Little  tots  three,  four  and  five  years  old, 
waddle  along  like  ducks  with  their  little  limbs  bent 
almost  in  a  semicircle.  Seeking  the  cause  of  this 
strange  condition,  look  into  the  arms  of  the  sad-faced 


150  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Italian  mothers  as  they  sit  here  and  there  upon  the 
door-steps.  There  will  be  seen,  as  in  the  accompany- 
ing illustration,  little  babies  with  their  limbs  wrapped 
round  and  round  with  bandages  so  tightly  that  they 
are  held  perfectly  rigid.  According  to  the  universal 
custom  of  the  Italian  women,  the  baby,  when  first 
born,  is  wrapped  in  these  bandages  and  kept  thus 
until  it  is  eight  or  ten  months  of  age, — "  to  make  their 
legs  straight,"  the  mothers  say.  When  at  last,  the 
bandages  are  removed  and  the  little  cramped  limbs 
are  allowed  to  exercise,  there  is,  of  course,  no  strength 
in  them.  As  a  consequence,  when  the  children  begin 
to  walk,  their  legs  bend  and  bow  at  once.  It  is  the 
task  of  the  Visiting  Nurse  to  see  that  these  little 
limbs  are  straightened  if  possible,  while  still  plastic, 
and  to  persuade  the  mothers  to  give  up  the  practice 
which  causes  the  trouble. 

In  one  instance,  the  nurse  persuaded  the  mother  of 
a  new-born  child  to  leave  off  the  ordinary  custom  of 
binding.  As  a  result,  this  child  grew  to  be  much 
more  healthy  and  strong  than  did  the  other  children 
of  the  family  whose  limbs  had  been  bound  in  in- 
fancy. 

In  most  cases,  however,  this  is  almost  as  hard  a 
custom  to  break  as  is  that  of  foot-binding  among 
the  Chinese. 

At  one  time,  the  nurse  was  called  to  a  large  slum 
tenement  house,  in  one  room  of  which  a  mother  had 
died  leaving  two  little  orphan  children.  After  the 
mother  had  been  buried,  the  children  were  placed  in 
the  Home  for  the  Friendless. 


Women  Visitors  in  the  Homes         151 

While  attending  to  this  case,  the  nurse,  and  one  of 
the  Friendly  Visitors  who  accompanied  her,  were  di- 
rected into  a  room  of  the  same  building,  where  a 
mother,  with  a  little  baby,  was  sick  of  milk-fever. 
In  this  one  room  there  were  living,  at  the  time,  no 
less  than  three  families.  This  woman  was  daily  vis- 
ited and  cared  for  and  doctored  by  the  nurse  for 
weeks  until  she  was  well  again. 

From  the  shameful  conditions  of  this  room,  the 
nurse  followed  the  dark  corridor  of  the  tenement  to 
another  room  where  a  woman  lay  sick.  Two  fretful 
children  were  in  bed  with  her  and  a  third  child  lay  in 
an  old  cradle  near  by.  It  was  found  that  the  woman 
had  been  in  bed  for  two  days  and  that  during  that 
time,  not  a  soul  had  entered  the  room.  The  mother 
was  too  sick  to  raise  her  head  from  the  pillow,  so 
there  she  and  her  three  children  had  lain  entirely 
alone  for  two  days  without  a  morsel  of  food  or  a  drop 
of  water.  The  baby  in  the  cradle  was  on  the  verge 
of  starvation,  the  bedding  on  both  bed  and  cradle 
was  filthy  beyond  description,  the  air  in  the  room 
was  close  and  damp  and  cold.  The  water  was  leak- 
ing from  the  faucet  at  the  sink  in  the  corner  and  had 
frozen  in  a  great  heap  on  the  floor.  As  the  nurse 
and  her  helper  entered  this  room,  the  sick  woman 
tried  to  rise  to  greet  them,  but  fainted  away  in  the 
effort.  The  visitor  at  once  set  to  work  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  situation.  A  fire  was  made  and  some 
appetizing  broth  prepared  to  relieve  the  hunger  of 
their  patients.  After  being  fed,  the  child  was  taken 
from  the  cradle  and  washed,  reclothed,  and  made 


152  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

comfortable.  The  mother  was  given  a  bath,  the  bed- 
ding and  her  own  clothing  were  changed,  the  floor 
was  scrubbed,  the  room  put  in  order  and  medicines 
were  administered  for  the  woman's  recovery.  This 
family  lived  in  a  room  only  ten  by  twelve  feet  in  di- 
mensions. The  husband  was  a  worthless  drunkard, 
who,  when  he  occasionally  came  home,  only  stopped 
to  devour  the  few  bits  of  food  that  the  hard-working 
wife  and  mother  had  provided  for  herself  and  her 
children,  and  then  retired  without  a  word  of  thanks 
or  of  recognition. 

Little  Jennie,  an  eleven-year-old  member  of  the 
Girls'  Club,  was  found  to  be  always  tired  and  drowsy 
and  haggard-looking  whenever  she  came  to  the 
rooms.  In  tracing  up  the  cause  of  this  condition,  it 
was  discovered  that  she  was  in  the  practice  of  going 
every  night  to  the  Folly  Theatre  where  she  stayed 
late  into  the  night,  singing  and  dancing  for  the 
amusement  of  her  admiring  audience.  The  Friendly 
Visitors,  upon  learning  the  situation,  began  to  take 
action  against  the  theatre  manager  for  employing 
child-labour.  The  crafty  manager  simply  announced 
that  he  was  not  employing  the  child  ;  that  he  simply 
allowed  her  to  use  his  stage  and  he  "  couldn't  help  it  if 
the  people  tossed  up  the  '  mons  '  to  her  from  the 
audience."  Through  the  intervention  of  the  visitors, 
however,  the  little  girl  was  removed  from  this  place 
and  sent  to  a  reform  school. 

Such  are  a  few  examples  among  the  many  that 
might  be  cited,  showing  the  varied  nature  of  this  work. 
The  women  visitors  are  of  assistance  also  in  many 


Women  Visitors  in  the  Homes         153 

other  ways.  Often  flowers,  books,  food  and  clothing 
are  donated  to  the  work  by  kind-hearted  givers. 
The  women,  constantly  visiting  in  the  homes,  as  they 
are,  know  where  to  place  these  good  things  with 
those  who  need  them  most.  Flowers  in  the  summer 
time  are  a  great  boon  to  the  stifled  shut-ins  of  the 
slums,  and  bouquets  sent  by  loving  hands  in  the  coun- 
try have  brought  joy  and  gladness  to  many  sick  and 
suffering  ones  as  they  are  delivered  by  the  hands  of 
the  Friendly  Visitor.  Food  and  clothing  cannot  be 
given  away  promiscuously.  The  cases  of  need  must 
be  investigated.  For  this  purpose,  the  work  of 
Friendly  Visitation  is  indispensable. 

A  writer  has  said  :  "  The  time,  the  day,  the  hour 
is  ripe  for  a  Messiah  to  the  slums  who  will  have  much 
piety,  more  manhood,  and,  most  of  all,  common 
sense.  Bring  less  talk  and  more  muscle,  less  hymns 
and  more  work,  and  there  will  be  an  echo  to  your 
labour  in  every  lane  and  alley." 

This  is  what  these  women  visitors  are  doing.  They 
go  into  the  midst  of  the  grime,  the  corruption  and  the 
sin  of  the  city  slums  with  a  practical  helpfulness. 
Along  with  their  deep  piety  and  their  occasional 
hymns,  they  carry  their  consecrated  common  sense 
and  the  active  labour  of  their  hands  to  help  the  poor 
in  the  way  that  they  most  need,  and  there  is  already 
audible  an  echo  to  their  labours  in  every  lane  and 
alley  where  their  work  has  been  done. 


"  The  man  who  can  success- 
fully devise  means — with  his 
school  gardens,  play  yards, 
athletics,  manual  training,  and 
clubs — to  interest  and  ration- 
ally develop  the  '  kid  '  has 
forever  forbidden  that «  kid  ' 
from  becoming  a  tramp.  The 
modern  spirit  demands  that  in 
treating  tramps,  we  shall  not 
only  consider  work  tests  and 
municipal  lodges,  not  their  ob- 
literation by  reformation,  but 
their  prevention  by  grasping 
time's  traditional  forelock." — 
Outlook. 

X 

THE  CURE  OF  THE  TRAMP 

ALL  of  us  have  come  in  touch  and  often  unpleas- 
antly— with  the  tramp  problem  in  its  maturity ;  but  few 
think  to  question :  "  Who  were  these  tramps  in 
their  childhood,  whence  did  they  come,  and  what 
were  the  causes  for  their  beginning  the  life  they 
lead  ?  "  . 

As  a  means  of  throwing  light  upon  this  question 
from  an  authoritative  source,  it  may  be  well  to  quote 
an  exceedingly  interesting  article  by  Josiah  Flynt, 
entitled  "  The  Children  of  the  Road."  He  says  : 
"  There  are  four  distinct  ways  by  which  boys  and 
girls  get  upon  the  road ;  some  are  born  there,  some 
are  driven  there,  others  are  enticed  there,  and  still 
others  go  there  voluntarily." 

As  the  first  two  classes  of  children  do  not  so  much 
concern  this  discussion,  we  will  proceed  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  third  class.  "  The  children  of  this 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  155* 

third  class,"  says  Mr.  Flynt,  "  that  one  meets  oftenest 
are  what  the  older  travellers  call  •  worshippers  of  the 
tough.'  They  have  somehow  got  the  idea  into  their 
heads  that  cowboy  swagger  and  the  criminal  lingo 
are  the  main  features  of  a  manly  man,  and  having  an 
abnormal  desire  to  be  such  an  one,  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible they  go  forth  to  acquire  them.  The  hunt  soon 
lures  them  to  the  road." 

When  a  boy  has  acquired  this  passion  to  be  on  the 
move,  this  "  wanderlust,"  as  it  is  called,  he  becomes  a 
difficult  problem.  He  is  a  tramp  in  embryo,  and  a 
full-fledged  tramp  he  will  undoubtedly  become  unless 
he  is  wisely  dealt  with  in  his  younger  days.  Surely, 
if  anything  can  be  done  for  the  unfortunate  class  of 
society  called  tramps  or  "  Hoboes,"  it  must  be  done 
in  their  childhood.  The  source  of  the  stream  must 
be  reached  and  there  the  course  must  be  turned  into 
safe  channels. 

In  searching  for  a  cause  why  children  start  upon 
the  road,  another  quotation  from  Josiah  Flynt  may 
be  used  as  expressing  the  truth.  "  The  main 
reason,"  he  says,  "  why  hungry  boys  and  girls  are 
found  upon  the  road  is  drunken  fathers."  It  might 
also  be  added  :  unappreciative,  unreasonable  step- 
fathers. At  any  rate,  in  almost  every  instance  it  is 
because  of  some  trouble,  some  misunderstanding  or 
some  neglect  in  the  home.  Added  to  this,  there  is 
usually  the  influence  of  some  book — some  flashy 
novel — or  some  evil  companion. 

Myron  Adams  states,  as  his  conviction,  that 
vagrancy  among  newsboys  is  produced  by  the  condi- 


156  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

tions  of  their  trade.  "  '  Flipping '  the  street  car,"  he 
says,  "  is  but  a  step  to  the  freight  and  express  trains, 
easily  accessible  and  going  far  out  into  the  country 
and  to  other  cities,  and  this  combined  with  irregular 
hours  and  uncertain  income  are  the  chief  means  of 
training  the  boy  for  vagrancy."  Yet,  as  facts 
recorded  later  in  this  chapter  will  show,  not  all  boy 
tramps  are  produced  by  the  newsboy  system.  Many 
of  them  come  from  good  homes  and  advantageous 
circumstances. 

The  problem  of  saving  either  the  adult  or  the  boy 
tramp  is  one  towards  whose  solution  practically  no 
attempt  has,  as  yet,  been  made.  Josiah  Flynt,  who 
spent  years  of  his  life  studying  the  tramp,  acknowl- 
edges that  he  has  done,  and  can  do,  nothing  towards 
its  solution.  He  states  that  his  mission  stops  with 
the  bringing  to  light  of  the  facts.  Yet,  he  suggests, 
"  Surely  there  is  kindness  and  ingenuity  enough  in 
the  world  to  devise  a  plan  or  a  system  by  which  they 
may  be  snatched  from  the  road  and  restored  to  their 
better  selves."  However,  he  cautions,  "  Reformato- 
ries should  be  stationed  not  at  the  end  of  the  road,  but 
at  the  junction  of  every  by-path  that  leads  into  it." 

It  is,  as  he  says,  kindness  and  ingenuity  first,  and 
above  all,  that  is  required  to  do  this  work,  and  truly 
the  work  must  begin  "  At  the  junction  of  every  by- 
path that  leads  into  "  the  life  of  the  tramp,  not  at  the 
end  of  his  life. 

This  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  is,  in  a  small  but 
very  promising  way,  now  engaged  in  doing. 

As  was  shown  in  chapter  two  of  this  book,  the 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  157 

Club  is  located  in  a  strategic  position,  at  the  junction 
of  almost  every  by-path,  where  there  are  meeting 
continuous  streams  of  waifs  and  strays  from  every 
part  of  the  world.  Chicago  is  the  Mecca  of  waifdom. 
Here  there  is  an  opportunity  to  get  at  "  The  Tramp 
Problem  at  its  Source,"  if  there  is  such  an  opportu- 
nity anywhere,  and  the  solution  of  this  problem  in  its 
beginning  is  at  this  club  now  every  day  receiving 
more  and  more  attention. 

How  the  problem  is  being  "  tackled,"  and  in  many 
instances  solved,  will  be  the  story  of  the  following 
pages.  The  Mr.  Colby  so  often  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  this  work,  has  found  his  life-calling  in 
studying,  rescuing  and  starting  anew  the  wayward 
boys  as  they  come  to  him  more  and  more  as  human 
driftwood  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

At  one  time,  there  were  six  boys  on  his  hands 
from  as  many  different  towns  and  states.  These  all 
came  to  him  within  one  week.  One  was  from 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  one  from  Grand  Rapids  and  one 
from  St.  Joseph,  Mich. ;  one  from  Duluth ;  one  from 
St.  Louis,  and  one  from  Cincinnati.  Each  one  was, 
as  they  say,  "  on  the  bum  " ;  each  one  was  penniless, 
and  each  one  had  his  tale  to  tell.  They  were  all 
boys  caught  in  the  first  stages  of  tramphood.  Most 
of  them  had  come  from  good  homes  and  were  out 
"  to  see  the  world."  Then  or  never  was  the  time  to 
stop  them. 

These  boys  were  placed  temporarily  in  the  Club 
lodging-house.  Meantime,  their  cases  were  investi- 
gated. Those  who  were  found  to  have  parents  and 


158  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

homes  worthy  of  their  presence  were  sent  home, 
others  were  located  in  positions,  and  watched  over 
and  provided  for  until  they  could  make  their  own 
way. 

An  interesting  case  is  that  of  Arthur — a  boy  fifteen 
years  of  age.  He  was  found  by  some  of  the  boys 
sleeping  at  "  Plymouth  Club."  This  is  the  name 
given  to  a  familiar,  free-for-all  lodging  place  located 
underneath  the  freight  platform  at  the  Dearborn 
Street  Railway  station.  The  boys  invited  him  to  go 
with  them  to  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club.  There  he 
was  found  to  be  an  orphan  child  who  had  been 
adopted  by  a  Methodist  local-preacher  in  Indiana. 
In  this  home,  he  had  possessed  all  that  heart  could 
wish.  He  had  a  splendid  horse  and  buggy  for  his 
own  use.  Some  of  the  colts  and  calves  and  pigs  on 
the  farm  he  claimed  as  his  own.  Yet  with  all  these 
good  things  before  him,  the  boy  became  dissatisfied, 
the  "  moving-about  spirit "  got  hold  of  him,  and  away 
he  went.  For  months  he  travelled,  "  bumming  his 
way,"  visiting  different  cities  all  the  way  from  New 
York  to  Colorado.  While  on  the  road,  in  order  to 
meet  his  expenses,  he  pawned  a  twenty-dollar  gold 
watch,  a  good  suit  of  clothes, — in  fact,  all  that  he 
had  of  any  value.  When  his  money  was  gone,  he 
made  his  way  as  best  he  could,  sleeping  often  under 
a  sidewalk  or  in  a  box-car,  and  only  in  a  bed  when 
he  was  lucky  enough  to  earn  or  to  beg  the  dime  or 
the  quarter  sufficient  to  pay  for  the  same. 

The  poor  boy,  covered  with  rags  and  filth  as  he 
was,  received  a  welcome  at  the  Club.  First  he  was 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  159 

given  a  good  bath  and  put  to  bed.  He  was  kindly 
treated  and  cared  for  during  a  few  days,  until  his 
case  could  be  investigated.  Soon  his  place  of  escape 
was  located,  his  foster  father  was  notified  and  money 
was  sent  to  the  Club  sufficient  for  his  transportation 
home.  When  the  little  fellow  was  comfortably  seated 
on  the  train,  and  was  assured  of  his  foster-parents' 
forgiveness,  he  looked  up  into  the  kindly  face  of  the 
man  who  had  rescued  him,  and  said :  "  What  makes 
you  do  all  this  for  me?"  Then  he  was  told,  in 
simple  words,  about  the  love  of  Christ  which  con- 
straineth. 

In  a  few  days,  a  letter  was  received  in  which  the 
boy  glowingly  described  his  happiness  at  getting  back 
among  his  beloved  calves  and  chickens  on  the  farm, 
and  his  gratitude  for  being  rescued  and  restored  to 
his  father's  love.  He  had  seen  enough  of  the  world, 
but  he  would  doubtless  have  wandered  on-and-on, 
like  a  lost  prodigal,  afraid  to  return  to  the  kind 
friends  whom  he  had  so  ungratefully  wronged,  had 
there  not  been  some  one  "  at  the  junction  of  the 
roads  "  to  find  him  and  restore  him  to  his  lost  home. 

Another  case  of  interest  is  that  of .  One 

night,  while  the  industrial  classes  in  the  Club  were 
in  full  swing,  a  strange  boy  entered.  Although  dirt 
and  rags  and  sadness  and  shyness  are  well-known 
traits  among  all  the  boys,  yet  this  boy  was  at  once 
distinguished  among  the  others  as  an  extreme  case. 
He  was  not  only  dirty  and  ragged  to  the  limit  of 
belief,  but  his  whole  appearance  showed  the  last 
degree  of  hopeless  despondency.  A  strange  boy  is 


160  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

always  shy  and  suspicious,  but  this  boy  required  a 
special  amount  of  tact  to  draw  out  his  story.  When 
asked  as  to  his  home,  he  responded,  "  Don't  live 
nowhere."  Gradually  it  was  discovered  that  his  par- 
ents had  both  died  when  he  was  quite  young,  and 
since  that  time  the  boy  had  wandered  from  city  to 
city,  always  kicked  about  and  mistreated,  and  making 
his  way  against  obstacles  as  best  he  could.  It  was 
found  that  he  had  come  to  Chicago  from  Milwaukee 
about  six  months  before  his  appearance  at  the  Club, 
and  while  in  Chicago,  had  been  sleeping  in  alleys 
and  doorways,  under  sidewalks  and  wharfs,  and  occa- 
sionally, when  he  could  earn  or  beg  a  dime,  sleeping 
in  some  cheap  lodging-house.  After  the  boy  had 
been  provided  with  lodging  for  the  night,  he  prom- 
ised to  appear  at  the  Club  the  next  morning.  By 
eight  o'clock  he  was  there,  and  was  soon  undergoing 
what  was  to  him  the  strange  process  of  a  bath. 

As  the  boy  removed  his  clothing,  which  had  not 
been  off  his  body  for  weeks,  and  possibly  months,  it 
was  found,  to  the  surprise  of  the  man  in  charge  of 
the  bathroom,  that  the  lower  part  of  his  body  was 
covered  with  running  sores,  caused  by  a  disease  little 
less  terrible  than  leprosy.  This  disease  was  con- 
tracted, about  six  months  before,  from  a  coloured 
man,  who  (as  the  boy  said),  broke  into  his  room  one 
night  while  he  was  asleep  in  a  West  Side  lodging- 
house. 

After  the  unfortunate  boy  had  been  cleaned  up  and 
reclothed,  he  was  taken  to  one  of  the  most  skilled 
physicians  in  the  city,  who,  upon  examining  the  case, 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  161 

became  so  interested  that  he  offered  to  take  the  boy 
under  his  personal  charge  and  treatment  for  a  year, 
and  to  give  him  every  possible  chance  for  recovery. 
From  the  doctor's  office,  the  boy  was  taken  to  the 
hospital,  where  for  weeks  he  was  patiently  tended 
and  visited,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  able,  light  work 
was  found  for  him  and  a  comfortable  home,  where  he 
could  regain  his  strength  and  be  happy. 

As  the  boy  was  brought  before  the  physicians  at 
the  hospital,  and  they  learned  that  he  had  been  found 
and  brought  to  them  by  an  officer  of  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club,  one  of  them  exclaimed  :  "  I  guess  they 
do  business  at  that  Club,  and  if  this  is  the  kind  of 
work  they  do,  they  surely  deserve  the  help  of  good 
people."  Another  said :  "  Evidently  these  people 
do  something  more  than  pray." 

Another  case  was  presented  to  the  employment 
officer  at  one  time,  while  he  was  looking  up  a  boy 
who  needed  help  at  the  Maxwell  Street  Police 
Station.  It  was  the  case  of  a  boy  seventeen  years  of 
age  who  had  wandered  to  Chicago  from  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  He  was  a  thief — not  a  practiced  one,  how- 
ever, but  an  embryo  one.  His  classification  in  the 
army  of  juvenile  trampdom  would  be  with  those  who 
are  enticed  to  the  road.  In  fact,  when  finally 
analyzed,  nearly  all  of  them  belong  to  this  class. 

It  was  found  that  the  boy  had,  at  home,  been  em- 
ployed by  his  father  at  a  wage  of  fifty  cents  per 
week  besides  his  board  and  clothing.  The  boy,  full 
of  life  and  eager  for  fun  as  he  was,  rebelled  at  the 
small  wage.  He  carefully  figured  out  what  he 


i62  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

thought  to  be  the  minimum  of  his  weekly  needs  for 
pleasure  and  recreation,  and  frankly  submitted  the 
figures  to  his  father.  One  dollar  and  a  half  per  week, 
he  calculated,  was  the  smallest  amount  upon  which  he 
could  exist  and  have  the  pleasures  which  his  social 
nature  demanded.  His  father  refused  to  comply  with 
the  proposition,  and  the  boy,  as  the  street  phrase  ex- 
presses it,  "  ducked."  When  he  arrived  in  Chicago, 
a  tailor  living  on  Twelfth  Street  took  compassion 
upon  him  and  offered  to  give  him  a  home  until  he 
could  find  work  and  provide  for  himself. 

The  boy  failed  to  find  work,  his  stock  of  money 
became  exhausted,  and  his  condition  began  to  look 
desperate.  One  night,  in  the  crisis  of  his  need,  he 
met  a  professional  thief,  who  offered  to  lift  him  into  a 
window  of  the  very  house  of  the  tailor  who  had  be- 
friended him,  and  to  show  him  how  to  escape,  if  he 
would  share  the  plunder  of  his  theft  after  the  deed 
was  over.  The  boy  and  his  seducer  made  the  theft 
and  escaped.  The  goods  were  sold,  and  the  profits 
divided.  Then  the  man  in  the  case  plundered  the  boy 
of  his  profits,  and  sent  him  off  to  Milwaukee,  saying 
that  he  would  follow  him  there  the  next  day  and  re- 
pay what  he  had  "  borrowed." 

Of  course,  the  man  never  appeared,  and  the  boy 
was  again  left  friendless  and  penniless.  In  a  few 
days,  he  drifted  again  to  Chicago.  There  he  was 
detected,  charged  with  the  committal  of  the  Twelfth 
Street  robbery,  and  locked  up  in  the  police  station. 
Here  it  was,  soon  after  his  capture,  that  he  was  found. 
He  was,  at  the  time,  sleeping  on  a  plank  floor  (a 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  163 

plank  for  each  person)  in  a  damp,  filthy,  rat-infested 
basement.  The  boy  was  in  a  state  of  total  de- 
spondency. 

Of  course,  he  had  done  foolishly ;  of  course,  he 
was  to  blame ;  but,  overlooking  that,  he  was  also  a 
human  being  in  great  need  of  kindness,  sympathy, 
and  a  helping  hand.  The  Boys'  Club  officer  proved 
to  be  in  this  case,  as  in  countless  other  cases,  just  the 
friend  that  was  needed ;  not  to  condone  his  faults,  but 
to  help  him  rise  above  them.  Through  his  interces- 
sion, the  boy  was  taken  from  the  foul  police  station 
and  placed  under  Jailer  Whitman's  kindly  care  in  the 
Cook  County  Jail.  Meanwhile,  communication  was 
held  with  his  father  in  New  York  and  money  was  sent 
for  his  return  home.  The  boy's  release  from  jail  was 
obtained  through  Judge  Mack  of  the  Juvenile  Court, 
and  he  returned  home,  a  wiser,  and  promising  to  be  a 
better  boy.  This  boy  was  a  thief  and  undeniably, 
had  he  not  found  a  mediator  and  a  friend,  would  to- 
day have  been  incarcerated  in  the  reformatory  at 
Pontiac,  111. 

This  boy,  and  all  the  others  thus  handled,  are  not 
only  rescued  for  the  time,  but  are  also  followed  up. 
The  man  in  charge  of  the  Employment  Bureau  has  a 
stream  of  letters  coming  to  him  continually  from  these 
boys  and  their  parents,  scattered  as  they  are  all  over 
the  country,  and  many  of  them — but  not  all — report 
that  they  are  keeping  their  promise. 

One  of  the  most  perplexing  cases  that  has  come 
before  the  notice  of  this  department  is  that  of 
Meyer .  When  first  found,  he  gave  his  name 


164  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

as  Bennie  Frank.  He  had  "  beat  his  way  "  a  few  days 
before  from  St.  Louis  ;  "  come  to  see  what '  old  Chi ' 
was  like,"  he  said. 

The  following  is  his  own  account  of  the  rescue  : 
"  I  am  very  glad  to  say  that  I  was  picked  off  the 
streets  of  Chicago  by  de  Boys'  Club,  and  I  was  all 
dirty  and  filthy,  and  I  was  all  cleaned  up,  and  now  I 
am  a  gentleman.  I  was  treated  so  good  I  ran  away 
from  de  Club  and  was  a  tramp  and  a  bum  again,  and 
one  day  one  of  my  friends  said  to  me, '  Meyer,  Mr. 
Colby  wants  to  see  you,'  and  I  was  afraid  to  come 
here  for  fear  of  getting  arrested,  because  I  deserved 
it,  and  I  was  brought  back  to  de  Club,  and  I  was 
dressed  up  again,  and  now  I  am  going  to  be  a  gen- 
tleman and  want  to  be  a  good  boy.  I  was  picked 
out  of  de  News  Alley,  where  I  was  sleeping,  and  I 
used  to  go  to  South  Water  street  to  eat  old  bananas 
and  things  that  come  out  of  the  garbage  cans,  and 
things  like  that,  and  I  was  very  dirty  and  I  am  so  glad 
that  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  saved  me." 

To  read  this  letter  one  would  think  that  this  boy  is 
a  sample  of  the  Club's  most  successful  work,  that  he 
is  a  trophy  of  saving  grace  from  the  slums,  but 
really,  being  a  typical  product  of  the  street,  his  words 
ate  fair  and  his  intentions  are  good,  while  within  him 
still  lurks  the  evil  spirit  of  restlessness  and  deceit. 
It  is  as  an  officer  once  said  to  the  writer  :  "  You  can 
never  believe  what  these  boys  say ;  you  have  to  take 
their  words  as  they  give  them  and  interpret  them  ac- 
cording to  your  own  consciousness." 

This  boy,  like  many  others  of  the  street,  had  lived 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  165 

so  long  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  fanciful  and  the 
romantic  that  the  truth  was  literally  not  in  him,  and 
to  lie  and  "  act  a  part,"  was  as  natural  as  breathing. 

While  lodging  at  the  Club,  the  boy  spent  his  day- 
time out  of  doors.  The  first  day,  he  reported  that 
he  had  secured  a  position  as  delivery  boy  for  Mar- 
shall Field  &  Company.  After  work  every  night,  he 
portrayed  vividly  to  the  Club  officers  his  experiences 
of  the  day.  He  told  all  about  the  horses  he  drove, 
the  man  with  whom  he  worked,  the  territory  he 
traversed,  the  people  he  met,  the  parcels  he  deliv- 
ered, and  every  experience  of  the  day,  down  to  the 
smallest  detail.  Yet,  upon  investigation,  it  was  found 
that  he  had  never  been  employed  at  Field's;  the 
thrilling  experiences  which  he  related  had  all  taken 
place  only  in  his  own  fertile  brain,  and  meanwhile  he 
had  spent  his  time  in  idleness,  and  wrong-doing  on 
the  street,  and  had  been,  as  he  thought,  running  the 
"  graft-game  "  on  the  Club.  But  the  workers  there 
knew  more  of  his  life  and  character  than  he  sup- 
posed, and  they  treated  him  kindly,  not  because  of 
their  ignorance  of  his  doings,  but  because  they  hoped 
to  make  something  of  him  in  spite  of  his  doings. 

When  it  became  evident  that  the  temptations  of 
the  city  were  too  strong  for  the  boy,  he  was  sent, 
together  with  a  word  of  warning  regarding  his  de- 
ceitfulness,  to  the  lovely  Christian  home  of  a  lawyer 
in  Wisconsin.  From  there,  he  sent  back  glowing 
reports  of  his  happiness,  his  love  for  his  guardians, 
his  gratitude  to  the  Club  and  his  determination  to  be 
good. 


166  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

The  boy  remained  there  for  several  weeks,  happy 
in  himself  and  beloved  by  his  foster  parents.  He 
evidently  meant  all  that  he  said  about  being  good 
and  acting  worthily;  but  even  there,  temptation 
overcame  him. 

After  he  had  been  gone  for  several  weeks,  word 
came  from  Wisconsin  to  the  superintendent,  stating 
that  Meyer  had  run  away  from  his  home,  and  inquir- 
ing if  he  had  returned  to  Chicago.  Yes,  he  had  re- 
turned. Deeming  it  useless  to  send  him  back  to  the 
place  from  which  he  had  strayed,  he  was  given  a 
position  with  a  baker  in  Chicago.  Here  he  received 
every  kindness,  but  too  much  confidence,  with  the 
result  that  he  soon  made  off  with  the  contents  of  the 
cash-drawer.  Since  this  time,  he  has  never  been  seen. 

Thieving  and  dishonesty  was  with  this  boy  a  dis- 
ease. He  seems  to  have  been  born  with  a  double 
face.  The  chance  to  steal  and  the  opportunity  to 
escape  revived  the  old  passion  in  him  beyond  his 
control,  and  he  stole  in  spite  of  his  good  resolutions. 
Even  in  this  instance,  however,  the  boy  did  not  so 
much  need  punishment  as  he  needed  patience,  for- 
bearance and  control.  For  this  class  of  boy,  a  private 
home  is  not  adequate.  What  is  needed  for  such 
cases  is  an  industrial  farm,  where  they  can  be  care- 
fully guarded,  wisely  trained,  and  patiently  borne 
with  until  their  evil  tendencies  are  overcome.  Had 
this  boy  been  given  these  restraints  and  advantages 
at  the  time,  and  been  retained  under  their  influence 
long  enough,  he  could  doubtless  have  been  won  to  a 
useful  life. 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  167 

The  instances  thus  far  cited  have  been  those  of 
only  a  few  juvenile  tramps,  who  have  come  from 
other  cities  and  states ;  but,  getting  nearer  to  the 
source  of  the  evil,  let  us  consider  a  few  cases  of 
embryo  tramps,  who  have  been  reared  within  Chicago 
itself. 

Not  long  ago,  there  appeared  at  the  Boys'  Club, 
two  little  "  hooligans,"  little  more  than  babies,  but 
thieves  and  tramps  in  the  making.  One  of  them  was 
only  eight  years  old  and  the  other  nine.  They  had 
in  their  possession  some  toy  animals  of  which  they 
seemed  to  be  very  proud.  When  asked, "  Where  did 
you  get  your  '  menagerie '  ?  "  they  responded,  "  Ober 
to  dat  'are  big  store."  When  asked,  "  Did  you  buy 
them?"  they  answered,  "No,  ma'am."  Questioned 
again.  "  You  didn't  steal  them,  did  you  ? "  The 
youngest  one  replied  with  a  proud,  guileless  look : 
"  Nope,  de  guy  didn't  see  us."  When  it  was  ex- 
plained to  them  that  there  was  some  One  who  did  see 
them  and  who  sees  everything  that  little  boys  do,  a 
new  and  strange  expression  came  over  their  faces. 
They  had  never  been  spoken  to  in  that  way  before. 
It  was  found  that  their  home  was  in  the  city,  on  the 
West  Side ;  they  had  run  away  from  home  and  had 
been  sleeping  for  a  week  on  the  streets.  As  the  offi- 
cer was  starting  out  with  them  to  find  their  home,  he 
noticed  that  their  toys  were  left  behind.  "  Aren't 
you  going  to  take  your  menagerie?"  he  asked. 
"  Nope,"  they  responded,  "  wes  don't  want  dem 
t'ings."  The  little  talk  had  done  its  work. 

Here  was  a  case  of  thieving  and  vagrancy  in  its 


i68  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

infancy,  which  would  doubtless,  if  unchecked,  have 
led  on  to  a  life  of  wandering  and  crime. 

A  similar  case  is  that  of  Fred .  One  night 

as  the  boys  were  leaving  the  Club  rooms  they  found 
a  ragged,  forlorn,  hungry-looking  boy  standing  in 
front  of  a  low  theatre  on  State  Street.  They  in- 
quired if  he  had  a  home  or  a  place  to  sleep,  and 
finding  that  he  had  none,  took  him  to  the  Club. 

There  the  boy  gave  as  his  story  that  he  had  run 
away  from  home  two  years  before,  had  been  caught 
and  placed  in  a  reform  school ;  from  there,  had  made 
his  escape,  and  since  then  had  been  sleeping  in  an 
elevator  shaft  and  earning  his  scanty  meals  by  selling 
papers  or  doing  odd  jobs. 

After  the  boy  had  been  given  a  bed  and  otherwise 
provided  for,  investigation  was  begun  concerning  his 
story.  As  is  usual  in  such  cases,  Fred's  story  was 
entirely  fabricated.  When  one  story  was  proven  to 
be  false,  another  was  substituted  for  it.  Yet,  in  spite 
of  the  boy's  attempted  deceit  and  his  seeming  ingrat- 
itude, all  the  time  he  was  being  treated  kindly  by 
the  Club  officials.  Gradually  it  dawned  upon  him 
that  these  workers  were  his  friends  and  not  his 
enemies ;  that  they  were  not  spying  him  out  to  deliver 
him  over  to  the  law,  but  in  order  to  do  him  good.  Fi- 
nally, he  grew  confidential  and  divulged  a  hint  of  his 
identity.  After  some  searching,  his  history  was  as- 
certained. His  parents  were  found,  living  in  a  com- 
fortable home  on  the  South  Side.  His  absence  from 
home  had  covered  a  space  of  only  two  weeks  instead 
of  two  years,  as  the  boy  had  said.  As  is  the  case 


The  Cure  of  the  Tramp  169 

with  most  runaway  boys,  he  misunderstood  his  par- 
ents ;  he  was  afraid  of  their  wrath,  should  he  return, 
so  he  shunned  all  recognition  by  them.  When  the 
boy  was  brought  before  his  mother,  a  look  of  mortal 
terror  came  over  his  face  and  he  actually  fought  to 
escape. 

It  was  found  that  the  poor  boy  was  largely  justifi- 
able for  running  away,  as  his  parents  were  unsym- 
pathetic, rigid,  and  often  cruel  in  their  treatment  of 
him. 

Such  a  boy — and  there  are  thousands  of  them  in 
every  city, — needs  an  intercessor,  some  one  to  be- 
friend him  and  to  restore  him  to  the  favour  of  his 
parents  if  it  is  best,  or,  if  not  best,  to  place  him  where 
he  will  be  loved  and  understood.  When  once  a  boy 
has  broken  away  from  his  home  and  has  learned  the 
ways  of  the  street  so  that  he  can  shift  for  himself,  he 
is  in  a  dangerous  condition.  To  find  him  when  he  is 
helpless  and  discouraged  and  hungering  for  a  friend  is 
the  only  sure  way  and  time  to  save  him. 

Nobody  but  the  few  who  come  into  close  and  inti- 
mate contact  with  these  wayward  boys  can  appreciate 
their  temptation.  The  call  of  the  road,  that  restless, 
roving  spirit,  comes  upon  them  at  times  so  strongly 
that  they  must  either  move  on  to  new  adventures  or 
destroy  something  where  they  are.  Only  those  who 
can  "  feel  another's  woe "  through  sympathy  and 
intimacy  can  ever  really  appreciate  the  battle  that 
these  little  "  hooligans  "-in-the-making  have  to 
wage  against  themselves, — their  own  worst  enemy. 
At  an  early  age,  driven  from  home  by  an  irate, 


170  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

thoughtless  parent,  or  enticed  away  through  the  influ- 
ence of  some  evil  companion  or  book;  or,  as  in  many, 
many  cases,  starting  out  for  a  little  adventure  in  the 
world,  meaning  no  harm,  and  then  led  on  and  on  be- 
cause ashamed  or  afraid  to  return,  this  is  the  begin- 
ning of  many  a  juvenile  wanderer's  career,  and  unless 
he  finds  a  wise  friend  somewhere  before  he  has 
wandered  too  far,  his  career  will  end  in  that  of  a 
tramp  and  a  vagabond.  "  After  they  get  to  be  fifteen 
or  sixteen  years  of  age,"  says  Mr.  Colby, "  there  isn't 
much  use  trying  to  do  anything  with  them."  For 
this  class,  there  is  the  Juvenile  Court,  the  industrial 
farm,  and  the  State  reformatory  ;  but  for  the  boy  who 
has  all  the  tendencies  and  the  temptations  to  do  wrong, 
and  who  is  just  learning  the  ways  of  the  road,  there  is 
needed  a  toll-gate  "  at  the  junction  of  the  roads  "  to 
stop  him,  and  a  clearing  house  to  send  him  back  where 
he  belongs.  One  of  these  toll-gates,  these  clearing 
houses,  these  life  saving  stations,  is  the  Chicago  Boys' 
Club. 


"We  must  train  for  living 
through  training  for  a  liveli- 
hood."— President  James, 
University  of  Illinois. 

XI 

AN  URGENT  NEED 

IT  is  not  the  claim  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club  that 
all  of  its  members  are  to  become  the  leading  states- 
men and  professional  men  of  the  future.  No !  on  the 
contrary,  the  most  of  them  are  to  become  the  car- 
penters, the  printers,  the  plumbers,  the  mechanics, 
and  the  common  day-labourers  of  the  next  genera- 
tion. They  are  either  to  fill  these  humble  stations 
with  honour,  or  else  to  fill  the  ranks  of  the  saloon- 
keepers, the  gamblers,  the  tramps,  and  the  "  bums  " 
of  the  future.  Which  place  they  are  to  fill  it  remains 
with  the  public  to  say. 

The  public  school,  according  to  its  present  curric- 
ulum, is  failing  to  teach  the  boy  of  the  slums,  what 
he  most  needs  to  know.  That  educators  are  begin- 
ning to  realize  this  fact  is  very  apparent  to  any  one 
who  at  all  keeps  abreast  of  the  tide  of  current  litera- 
ture and  expression.  Here  are  a  few  quotations 
taken  at  random  from  the  magazines  and  public  ad- 
dresses of  the  day : 

President  Roosevelt  voiced  the  sentiment  of  many 
when  he  wrote  thus,  in  his  annual  message  to  Con- 
gress :  "  It  should  be  one  of  our  prime  objects  as  a 
nation,  so  far  as  feasible,  constantly  to  work  towards 
putting  the  mechanic,  the  wage-worker  who  works 
with  his  hands,  on  a  higher  plane  of  efficiency  and 

171 


172  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

reward ;  .  .  .  unfortunately,  at  the  present,  the 
effect  of  some  of  the  work  in  the  public  schools  is  in 
exactly  the  opposite  direction.  If  boys  or  girls  are 
trained  merely  in  literary  accomplishments,  to  the 
total  exclusion  of  industrial,  manual  and  technical 
training,  the  tendency  is  to  unfit  them  for  industrial 
work  and  to  make  them  reluctant  to  go  into  it,  or  un- 
fitted to  do  well  if  they  do  go  into  it." 

In  an  article  in  World's  Work,  we  find  the  words  : 
"  One  of  the  biggest  and  stubbornest  facts  that  face 
us  in  our  prosperity  is  the  lack  of  skilled  workmen. 
We  are  suddenly  waking  up  to  it  that  with  all  our 
educational  machinery,  there  is  no  part  of  it,  except  a 
few  private  schools  and  the  bare  beginnings  of  work 
in  a  very  few  public  schools,  that  trains  the  young 
directly  to  earn  their  living  by  the  trades.  .  .  . 
Most  of  the  '  education  '  that  we  offer  to  those  who 
must  -become  wage-earners  not  only  fails  to  fit  them 
for  their  work  but  tends  to  make  them  dissatisfied 
with  it.  Our  high-schools  are  designed  to  help  busi- 
ness and  professional  men — the  class  which  needs 
help  least.  We  learned  long  ago  that  a  college 
which  was  meant  chiefly  to  train  preachers  would  not 
give  us  good  engineers ;  and  we  have  been  building 
engineering  schools  ever  since.  We  are  now  finding 
out  that  a  high-school  which  is  meant  mainly  to  pre- 
pare boys  for  college  does  not  help  boys  who  are  going 
to  be  carpenters." 

"  In  many  parts  of  the  United  States,"  says  Arthur 
W.  Page,  in  an  article  in  World's  Work,  "  we  are 
waking  up,  almost  suddenly,  to  this  fact,  that  skilled 


An  Urgent  Need  173 

workmen  are  scarce  in  all  trades,  and  that  we  have 
ridiculously  inadequate  machinery  for  training 
them." 

Again,  Mr.  Wm.  Noyes  has  said  in  an  article 
in  The  Independent:  "  Very  unequally  do  we  pro- 
vide for  the  needs  of  the  boy.  The  school  is  organ- 
ized to  teach  him  to  acquire  information  and  to  some 
extent  to  think.  We  leave  him  alone  to  devise  his 
own  plays,  and  only  recently  have  we  begun  to  ap- 
preciate that  he  must  have  opportunities  to  play 
other  than  those  of  the  asphalted  street  between  two 
rows  of  buildings.  That  the  boy  also  needs  to  work, 
we  have  hardly  recognized  at  all." 

The  above  quotations  suffice  to  show  that  this  is  a 
live  question ;  that  the  public  is  beginning  to  awake, 
in  a  most  practical  way,  to  this  higher  need. 

In  former  generations,  trade  training  was  not  so 
much  needed  as  now,  because  then  life  was  more 
simple  and  the  young  could  find  employment  of  a 
beneficial  nature  on  their  father's  premises,  or  in 
workshops.  Recently,  all  has  been  changed.  The 
process  of  specialization  has  done  away  with  the 
once-valuable  apprentice  system.  Nowadays,  an  ap- 
prentice is  merely  a  machine.  Set  at  one  monoto- 
nous task  all  the  day  long,  as  he  is,  there  is  no  longer 
a  chance  for  learning  a  trade  in  a  shop.  A  young 
man  goes  to  work  in  a  factory  and  is  at  once  placed 
at  a  machine,  where  he  grinds  out  bolts,  or  pins  or 
moldings  the  year  round.  He  has  no  chance,  as  had 
his  father  before  him,  of  learning  all  the  details  of  a 
trade  or  an  industry. 


174  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

To  provide  for  this  new  emergency  that  has  arisen 
is  the  crying  need  of  the  times. 

There  are  and  have  been  for  years,  technical 
schools,  where  the  upper  classes  of  young  men  may 
be  equipped  as  engineers  or  expert  machinists.  Such 
schools  are  the  Boston  School  of  Technology,  Pratt 
Institute  of  New  York,  and  the  Armour  Institute  of 
Chicago. 

These  are  supplying  a  need,  but  they  are  sup- 
plying it  to  those  who  need  it  least.  The  need 
and  the  demand  of  the  hour  is  for  schools  where 
the  common  people  can  be  prepared  for  common 
tasks.  Thus  far,  the  public  school  has  failed  to 
meet  this  need.  Its  principal  purpose  has  been  to 
prepare  its  students  for  college,  and  the  principal 
purpose  of  the  college  is  to  prepare  its  students  for 
one  of  the  professions  or  for  business  life.  But  the 
great  mass  of  mankind  are  not,  and  never  can  be, 
doctors,  and  lawyers,  and  statesmen,  or  even  master- 
mechanics  and  engineers.  It  is  the  lower  stratum  of 
society  that  most  needs  the  effort  and  the  attention  of 
the  benevolent,  and  it  is  this  class  that  has  received 
the  least. 

Literacy  has,  until  now,  been  made  the  standard  of 
excellence  in  education.  As  Mr.  Seaver,  the  Super- 
intendent of  the  Public  School  System  of  Boston, 
has  said  :  "  The  traditional  balance  between  learning 
and  labour  has  been  upset,  and  learning  taken  the 
whole  time."  Another  writer  has  said  :  "  Literacy 
has  become  a  sort  of  a  fetich  which  we  confidently 
believe  will  cure  all  our  ills,  while  a  large  and  im- 


An  Urgent  Need  175 

portant  factor  in  education,  learning  by  work,  has 
been  left  to  the  horrible  dens  of  exploitation  in 
which  many  of  our  children  are  sooner  or  later 
caught  as  unskilled  child  labourers." 

In  a  measure,  seeing  this  lack  of  balance  between 
learning  and  labour,  the  public  schools  have  recently 
begun  a  remedy  by  installing  manual-training  as  a 
part  of  their  curriculum.  This,  however,  has  been 
found  in  most  cases  to  be  of  little  value,  except  as  a 
diversion  from  the  regular  routine  of  literary  studies ; 
it  in  no  case  prepares  the  students  for  a  livelihood 
along  the  line  studied. 

In  reference  to  this  subject,  a  recent  writer  has 
said  :  "  Even  if  our  manual  training  methods  were 
well  planned  with  reference  to  modern  industry,  how 
much  of  it  would  a  boy  be  likely  to  learn  who  spent 
only  one-hundredth  of  his  waking  hours  at  work  ? 
Yet,  that  is  all  that  a  boy  in  our  best  equipped 
schools  gets  in  '  manual  training.'  Such  dabbling  as 
this  cannot  be  dignified  by  the  name  of  work." 

Besides  the  ordinary  schools  for  mental  training, 
there  are  four  distinct  kinds  of  schools  which  train 
the  hand. 

1.  The  manual  training  school  gives  shop  work 
in  connection  with  literary  studies.    The  work  in  the 
shops  is  not  considered  to  be,  in  itself,  of  practical 
value  to  the  student.    It  is  simply  a  part  of  his  edu- 
cation, a  means  of  training  his  faculties,  sharpening 
his  wits  and  broadening  his  vision. 

2.  An  industrial  school  uses  manual  training  and 
shop  work  of  various  kinds  as  a  means  of  discipline, 


176  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

and  for  the  purpose  of  inculcating  within  its  students 
habits  of  industry,  of  orderliness  and  of  precision. 

3.  A  technical  school  aims  to  fit  its  pupils  for  the 
higher  positions  offered  by  trade  and  industry.     Its 
graduates  usually  become  civil,  mechanical,  electrical 
or  mining  engineers,  master-mechanics,  shop-super- 
intendents or  foremen. 

The  object  of  the  school  is  to  make  of  the  student 
an  employer  or  manager,  rather  than  an  actual 
worker  at  a  trade. 

4.  A  trade  school,  on  the  other  hand,  aims  to  fit 
its  pupils  for  a  definite  occupation.     It  fills  the  place 
once  filled  by  the  apprentice-system  by  training  the 
prospective  wage-earner  in  all  the  details  of  a  particu- 
lar trade  and  thoroughly  preparing  him  to  enter  that 
trade  on  a  paying  basis.     "  The  main  object,"  says 
Prof.  Mary  Schenck  Woolman,  director  of  the  Man- 
hattan Trade  School  for  Girls,  "  is  to  help  the  wage- 
earner  to  become  self-supporting  in  some  direct  occu- 
pation." 

The  manual  training-school  method  applies  mostly 
to  high-school  or  grammar-school  pupils. 

The  trade  school  is  adapted  best  to  the  people  of 
moderate  means  and  ordinary  intelligence,  and  its 
methods  are  greatly  needed  to  be  used  among  the 
people  of  the  slums  and  inhabitants  of  the  tenements. 
Manual  training  methods  have  been  in  operation  in 
the  public  schools,  especially  in  the  large  cities,  for 
several  years,  and  the  movement  for  its  introduction 
is  rapidly  spreading. 

The  industrial  method  is  used  mostly  by  reformatory 


An  Urgent  Need  177 

schools  and  charitable  institutions  among  the 
poor. 

The  technical  school  reaches  the  young  men  and 
women  of  the  upper  classes. 

Most  of  the  large  cities  now  have  fully  equipped 
manual  training  high-schools.  None  of  these,  how- 
ever, pretend  to  teach  a  trade  or  to  prepare  a  wage- 
earner  definitely  for  a  life-work. 

Technical  schools  and  engineering-schools  are 
abundant.  Boston  has  its  School  of  Technology; 
New  York  has  its  Pratt  Institute ;  Chicago  has  its 
Armour  and  Lewis  Institutes,  and  almost  every  state 
gives  a  like  training  in  its  universities ;  but  these  are 
all  for  the  men  of  high  qualifications  and  wide  oppor- 
tunities, i 

Almost  every  state  has  its  industrial  homes  and 
reform  schools  for  the  dependent  and  delinquent 
classes,  and  there  are  many  private  institutions  which 
give  industrial  training.  Yet,  there  is  still  a  crying 
need  that  has  not  been  met.  A  few  small  beginnings 
have  been  made  by  various  cities  in  founding  public 
trade  schools.  The  city  of  New  York  maintains  two 
evening  trade  schools,  Springfield,  Mass.,  has  a  suc- 
cessful one,  Philadelphia  has  lately  started  a  trade 
school  which  is  open  for  both  day  and  evening 
classes.  The  city  of  Columbus,  Ga.,  however,  is  the 
first  one,  so  far,  that  has  undertaken  the  work  of  trade 
training  on  a  large  scale  and  in  a  complete  and  sys- 
tematic way. 

The  cry  is  in  these  days  becoming  loud  and  in- 
sistent for  this  kind  of  work  to  be  inaugurated  in  all 


178  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

cities  under  board  of  education  management.  Yet 
those  who  plead  for  this  have  by  no  means  counted 
the  cost  or  weighed  the  difficulties.  There  are 
serious  obstacles  to  be  met  in  the  attitude  which  the 
trades  unions  may  take  towards  such  a  project. 
There  is  the  difficulty  of  at  once  obtaining  trained 
and  competent  teachers  to  meet  this  sudden  demand. 
There  is  the  immense  additional  expense  upon  the 
already-burdened  tax-payers.  There  is  the  impos- 
sibility of  the  teacher  giving  each  student  the 
individual  attention  necessary  in  the  learning  of  a 
trade.  And  besides  these  superficial  difficulties,  there 
is  the  inner  hindrance  to  the  best  work  which  always 
adheres  to  public  institutions,  the  political  wire- 
pulling, the  objection  to  moral  or  religious  teachings, 
and  the  difficulty  of  adapting  the  universal  principle 
to  local  requirements. 

The  private  school,  supported  by  voluntary  con- 
tributions or  by  endowment,  and  administered  on  an 
independent  basis,  has  the  advantage  in  many  respects 
over  the  public  school. 

The  private  school  is  able,  as  the  public  school 
would  not  be,  to  take  in  orders  and  thus  have  the 
pupils  feel  that  they  are  doing  what  would  actually 
be  done  in  the  trade.  At  the  same  time,  this  insures 
the  use  of  just  the  materials  for  practice  that  are  used 
in  and  demanded  by  the  trade.  This  practice  has 
operated  successfully  in  the  Manhattan  Trade  School 
for  Girls,  whose  work  will  be  described  later. 

Another  advantage  of  the  private  school  over  the 
public  institution  is  that  it  makes  possible  a  more 


An  Urgent  Need  179 

practical  work.  The  teachers  and  managers  of  a 
philanthropy  can  keep  in  touch,  as  the  public 
school-teachers  cannot,  with  the  actual  workers  at 
the  trades  and  with  the  employers  of  labour,  and  thus 
see  to  it  that  the  work  taught  in  the  school  is  just  the 
same  as  the  work  demanded  in  the  factories.  The 
private  school  can  have  better  facilities  for  placing 
its  graduates  in  gainful  positions  and  in  otherwise 
assisting  them  after  graduation. 

Let  us  see  what  some  of  these  private  trade  schools 
have  done  and  what  have  been  the  results  of  their 
efforts. 

There  is  in  New  York  City  a  trade  school  which 
has  been  in  successful  operation  for  twenty-six  years. 
It  is  called  "  The  New  York  Trade  School."  It  was 
founded  in  1881  by  the  late  Col.  Richard  Tylden 
Auchmuty.  It  trains  young  men  to  be  plumbers, 
bricklayers,  plasterers,  painters,  blacksmiths,  steam- 
fitters,  electrical-workers,  printers,  carpenters  and 
pattern-makers. 

Since  its  foundation,  12,648  young  men  have  availed 
themselves  of  its  privileges.  During  the  past  four 
years,  the  annual  attendance  has  averaged  over  eight 
hundred  students. 

The  tuition  here  is  placed  so  low  that  almost  any 
one  may  meet  its  requirements. 

A  similar  institution  in  New  York  City  is  the 
"  Baron  De  Hirsch  Trade  School,"  which  has  been 
in  operation  for  about  twelve  years.  Instruction  here 
is  entirely  free.  The  students  are  mostly  Russian 
Jews.  The  purpose  of  this  school,  as  stated  in  its 


180  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

catalogue,  is  to  fit  young  men  in  as  short  a  time  as 
possible  to  obtain  employment  in  one  of  the  me- 
chanical trades  as  a  means  of  livelihood. 

Practically  the  same  industries  are  taught  here  as 
in  the  New  York  Trade  School. 

A  somewhat  similar  work  is  the  "  Williamson  Free 
School  of  Mechanical  Trades,"  which  is  located  on 
the  outskirts  of  Philadelphia.  Here  the  boy  is  clothed 
and  fed  as  well  as  being  prepared  for  a  trade,  and  no 
charge  whatever  is  imposed. 

Another  interesting  institution,  and  one  that  is  a 
pioneer  along  its  line,  is  the  Manhattan  Trade  School 
for  Girls.  Although  it  has  been  in  operation  only 
about  four  years,  its  growth  has  been  phenomenal. 
The  managers  have  recently  purchased  at  a  cost 
of  $200,000  a  large  six-story  building  located  at 
No.  209  East  Twenty-third  Street,  New  York.  This 
building  is  now  equipped  with  up-to-date  machinery 
and  accommodations  for  500  pupils. 

These  pupils,  all  from  the  poorer  districts  of 
New  York,  are  thoroughly  trained  in  the  trades  of 
hand-sewing,  dressmaking,  millinery,  pasting  and 
machine-operating.  In  connection  with  these  tech- 
nical branches,  the  girls  are  instructed  in  mathe- 
matics, English,  art-work  and  designing,  physical 
culture  and  housekeeping. 

In  order  that  the  poorest  and  most  needy  girls 
may  be  able  to  avail  themselves  of  the  advantages  of 
the  school,  many  are  helped  in  amounts  varying 
from  mere  carfare  to  the  equivalent  of  a  small 
wage. 


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ACES 

Chart  Showing  Value  of  Trade  School  Training 
Courtesy  Doubleaay,  Page  &  Co. 


An  Urgent  Need  181 

This  philanthropy  is  supported,  not  only  by  con- 
tributions from  generous  givers,  but  also,  in  smaller 
amounts,  from  many  of  those  who  are  now  wage- 
earners  and  who  see  the  value  of  the  training  for 
those  who  are  just  starting  in  the  trade.  Valuable 
aid  is  obtained  also  through  the  filling  of  trade- 
orders.  The  work  of  each  department  is  so  arranged 
that  the  girls  can  be  constantly  making  articles  for 
sale,  and  at  the  same  time  be  learning,  under  the  in- 
dividual instruction  of  competent,  loving  teachers,  all 
the  details  of  the  trade  of  their  choice.  Each  girl  is 
taught  just  what  she  needs  to  make  her  a  competent 
and  a  trusted  worker  at  a  specific  trade. 

Having  viewed  a  few  splendid  samples  of  what 
has  been  and  can  be  done  along  the  line  of  trade- 
training,  let  us  see  what  are  the  actual  results  of  this 
work,  and  inquire  if  there  are  adequate  returns  for 
the  time,  the  money,  and  the  labour  expended. 

The  records  of  the  Baron  De  Hirsch  School  show 
that  it  has  graduated  during  the  eleven  years  of  its 
existence  1,281  pupils,  the  most  of  whom  are  now 
working  at  the  trade  for  which  they  were  prepared. 
"  Of  the  221  graduates  of  the  eighteenth,  nineteenth, 
twentieth  and  twenty-first  classes  reporting  on  Oc- 
tober i,  1905,  190  had  worked  before  entering  the 
school  at  an  average  weekly  wage  of  $5-39-  The 
average  of  the  221  immediately  after  the  five  and  a 
half  months'  training  was  $7.50.  After  two  years, 
the  wages  increased  about  100  per  cent.,  some  gradu- 
ates receiving  as  much  as  $24.75  a  week,  full  jour- 
neymen's pay.  It  costs  the  school  about  $132  to 


182  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

train  each  boy.  The  immediate  increase  in  his  yearly 
earning  power  is  almost  equal  to  $132  and  that  is 
the  least  important  result.  The  important  fact  is  that 
the  boy  has  started  to  become  a  skilled  mechanic,  an 
economically  profitable  and  desirable  citizen.  This 
is  the  quickest  and  cheapest  and  most  effective 
known  process  of  transforming  a  Russian  Jew,  who 
might  otherwise  start  life  as  a  collar-button  vender 
or  a  sweatshop  worker,  into  a  skilled  American 
workman." 

In  the  Manhattan  Trade  School  for  Girls,  the 
estimated  average  yearly  cost  to  the  school  for  the 
training  of  each  girl  is  $80.  Of  the  200  graduates 
during  the  short  history  of  the  school,  practically  all 
of  them  are  now  at  work  and  making  a  far  higher 
wage  than  they  did,  or  could  before  entering  the 
school. 

The  last  report  of  the  institution  sums  up  the 
results  as  follows : 

"  I.  The  demand  for  its  workers  is  greater  than 
the  supply,  and  those  firms  which  have  tried  them, 
desire  more  and  even  offer  a  premium  for  obtaining 
them. 

"  II.  The  152  girls  who  were  heard  from  on  Jan- 
uary I,  1906,  have  secured  positions  and  are  making 
good  salaries. 

"  III.  Experience  has  shown  that  a  girl  of  ability, 
after  eight  months  to  a  year  at  the  school  can  earn, 
in  weekly  wage,  from  $5  upward,  and  many  girls, 
after  a  short  time  in  the  market,  can  make  $8  or 
$10  per  week  before  they  are  seventeen  years  old, 


An  Urgent  Need  183 

while  on  piece  work,  some  are  receiving  $10.50 
to  |I5.N 

These  are  some  of  the  pecuniary  results  of  trade 
school  training;  but  there  are  other  results  which, 
though  less  apparent,  are  far  more  valuable  and  last- 
ing. When  a  poor  young  lad  or  a  girl  from  the 
slums  has  been  trained  for  a  trade  and  sent  out  into 
the  world  a  self-productive  and  economically  profit- 
able worker,  not  only  has  that  individual  been  bene- 
fited, but  the  entire  community  has  been  lifted  a 
notch  higher  through  the  influence  of  that  individual 
in  its  midst.  Then,  there  is  the  moral  benefit  upon 
the  lives  of  the  students  and  through  their  lives  upon 
the  character  of  the  community  into  which  they  go. 
The  Manhattan  Trade  School  for  Girls,  especially, 
reports  a  marked  improvement  in  the  character  and 
conduct  of  the  girls  under  their  charge  during  and 
after  the  days  of  their  training. 

To  those  who  observe  the  signs  of  the  times  and 
watch  the  course  of  events,  an  entire  change  of  atti- 
tude is  noticeable  on  the  part  of  the  public  towards 
the  criminal  classes. 

Formerly  the  method  used  with  criminals,  and 
would-be  criminals,  was  that  of  repression ;  recently 
the  method  has  changed  to  that  of  prevention  ;  now 
there  is  dawning  the  day  of  construction. 

The  efforts  at  manual  training  in  our  schools  and 
charitable  institutions,  and  at  industrial  training  in  our 
reformatories  and  prisons,  show  a  groping  after  this 
higher  ideal,  but  we  are  still  only  following  after  that 
we  may  attain. 


184  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

The  recent  laudable  movement  for  the  establish- 
ment of  small  parks  and  playgrounds  in  our  great 
cities,  and  of  breathing-spaces  in  the  midst  of 
crowded  slums,  represents  at  best  but  preventative 
measures. 

The  most  of  the  boys'  clubs  as  they  have  now 
come  to  be  established  in  most  of  the  large  cities  of 
the  country  are  conducted  only  on  preventative  lines. 

Their  sole  purpose  seems  to  be  to  keep  the  wild 
boys  off  the  street. 

After  making  a  tour  among  the  various  boys'  clubs 
and  social  settlements  in  different  cities  over  the 
country,  this  fact  became  to  the  writer  vividly  ap- 
parent. In  practically  all  of  them,  amusement  is  the 
principal  feature,  and  in  some  of  them,  at  least,  the 
nature  of  the  amusement,  and  the  helpfulness  of  its 
influence  upon  the  character  of  the  boy,  may  well  be 
called  in  question. 

As  was  urged  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  this  book, 
games  and  sports,  athletics  and  even  industrial  train- 
ing must  not  be  regarded  as  things  of  value  in 
themselves  alone  ;  but  largely  as  a  means  to  a  higher 
end.  As  was  stated  in  the  first  chapter,  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club  is  unique  among  other  boys'  clubs  and 
other  works  of  its  kind  in  that  it  makes  industrial 
training  and  Christian  instruction  the  leading  features 
of  its  work. 

Although  this  institution  has  advanced  further  and 
accomplished  more  by  way  of  actually  fitting  its 
members  for  life  and  manhood  than  any  other  like 
institution  of  which  we  know,  there  are  still  higher 


An  Urgent  Need  185 

stations  of  usefulness  to  which  its  managers  as- 
pire. 

The  purpose  of  this  institution  has  been  from  its 
inception,  not  simply  prevention,  but  formation  and 
construction.  There  is  the  same  need  in  Chicago 
that  exists  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia  and  all 
other  large  cities,  for  a  school  that  gives  to  the  chil- 
dren of  the  poor  a  practical  training  in  the  trades. 

The"  Industrial  Departments,"  as  they  are  called  by 
the  workers  at  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club,  are  a  begin- 
ning ;  a  real  start  towards  the  greater  work  which  is  so 
sorely  and  so  urgently  needed. 

What  is  needed  is  a  trade  school,  whose  advan- 
tages shall  extend  to  the  poorest  of  the  poor. 

It  has  been  proven  that  the  poorest  of  the  poor  and 
the  lowest  of  the  low  will  take  advantage  in  their 
younger  years  of  industrial  training  which  is  offered 
them.  Why  then  should  they  not,  under  the  same 
management,  take  advantage  of  trade  training  when 
they  are  older  ? 

The  great  need  of  the  work  as  it  has  now 
developed  is  to  find  a  solution  of  the  big-boy- 
problem.  For  the  small  boy,  the  little  street  waif, 
the  present  equipment  is  sufficient ;  but  these  little 
ones  are  constantly  growing  up,  and  as  they  grow  up 
they  slip  out  of  the  hands  of  the  workers  and  will 
continue  to  do  so  until  some  more  adequate  provi- 
sion is  made  for  them. 

This  provision  can  be  made ;  it  must  be  made. 
Because  the  work  must  be  done,  it  will  be  done. 
The  question  is,  "  Who  will  be  the  doer  of  it  ?  " 


"  Blessed  is  the  man  who  has 
found  his  work."  — Bronson. 

XII 
THE  SECRET  OF  SUCCESS  IN  THE  WORK 

THE  successful  man,  says  Voltaire,  is  "  He  who 
knows  better  than  anybody  that  which  everybody 
knows." 

"  Uncle  Henry,"  in  "  Letters  from  an  Old  Public 
Functionary  to  his  Nephew,"  says :  "  When  you 
visit  a  really  successful  institution,  the  effect  on  your 
mind  is  that  the  things  you  see  done  are  just  the  sort 
of  things  you'd  have  done  yourself  if  you  had  only 
thought  of  them." 

The  wonderful  thing  about  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club 
is  not  the  perfectness  of  its  system  or  the  intricacy  of 
its  machinery ;  but  rather  the  naturalness  and  simplic- 
ity of  all  its  workings.  It  is  successful  because  it 
just  fits  the  need  for  which  it  exists.  It  just  fits  the 
need  because  the  plan  on  which  it  is  conducted  is 
God-given  and  not  man-made. 

As  was  stated  frankly  in  the  opening  pages  of  this 
book,  the  Club  was  founded  upon  faith  and  prayer. 

The  preceding  chapters  have  told  the  story  of  the 
victories  for  the  Kingdom  which  this  faith  has  brought 
about. 

It  remains  for  this  chapter  to  relate  how  the 
principle  of  faith  and  the  heritage  of  prayer  have 
run  through  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  work  from  the 
first. 

186 


The  Secret  of  Success  in  the  Work     187 

When  Mr.  Atkinson,  the  superintendent  and 
founder  of  the  Club,  was  receiving  his  first  intima- 
tions of  the  need  for  such  a  work  to  be  done,  and  of 
his  call  to  do  it,  the  first  and  all-important  question  be-, 
fore  him  to  decide  was  :  "  What  is  the  divine  will  ? 
What  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit?"  His  cry  was  like 
that  of  Moses :  "  Except  the  Lord  go  forth  with  our 
hosts,  carry  us  not  out  hence,"  and  this  has  been  the 
cry  of  the  soul,  not  only  in  the  beginning  but  through- 
out every  little  detail  of  the  work  from  the  first. 

The  founder  did  not,  however,  wait  expecting  some 
sign  to  be  blazoned  upon  the  sky.  He  went  to  work 
to  find  out  what  was  the  mind  of  the  Spirit.  First, 
he  made  sure  he  knew  the  situation.  He  studied 
the  needs  of  the  field.  He  went  abroad  and  studied 
the  situation  and  methods  of  work  in  other  lands  and 
cities.  He  also  read  books  of  biography  in  order  to 
find  out  how  other  men  who  had  "  done  things  "  had 
discovered  their  life  work.  He  counselled  with  men, 
and  from  them,  naturally  enough,  received  as  many 
different  and  conflicting  opinions  as  there  were 
different  men.  In  the  meantime,  and  all  the  time, 
he  waited  upon  God.  Upon  a  day  when  the  strain 
of  uncertainty  and  conviction  was  becoming  un- 
bearable, and  when  a  crisis  was  evidently  approach- 
ing, he  boarded  a  train  and  sped  away  into  Iowa. 
This  was  for  the  purpose  of  counselling  with 
a  man  in  whose  consecrated  judgment  he  had  great 
confidence,  in  hopes  of  finding  out  what  to  do.  The 
man  thought  and  prayed  and  weighed  the  matter  pro 
and  con,  and  then  gave  him  a  discouraging  answer. 


i88  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

This,  however,  did  not  persuade  him  to  give  up 
the  project.  The  burden  of  conviction  was  upon 
him.  So  again  he  boarded  a  train  and  sped  away 
into  Minnesota  ;  this  time  to  a  lifelong  friend,  a  man 
of  wealth  and  influence,  but  one  from  whom  he  could 
not  hope  to  obtain  spiritual  advice. 

When  he  laid  his  project  before  this  man,  at  once 
he  became  interested.  He  inquired  how  much  funds 
it  would  require  to  start  and  conduct  for  one  year  an 
institution  such  as  he  proposed.  "  Four  thousand 
dollars,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  will  stand  good  for  one 
fourth  of  that  amount,"  was  the  response. 

Here  was  an  opening — a  "  leading  "  or  a  tempta- 
tion, which  ?  It  was  soon  found  to  be  a  leading,  for 
before  long  other  funds  began  to  come  in  to  meet 
this  subscription.  The  clouds  had  now  begun  to 
break  away. 

However,  it  was  not  yet  to  be  smooth  travelling. 
Like  a  river  winding  through  the  prairie  and  then 
suddenly  plunging  into  a  mountain  canon,  where  ob- 
structions are  on  every  side,  such  has  been  the  prog- 
ress of  this  work.  The  gorges  and  waterfalls  have 
been  more  frequent,  however,  than  the  quiet  plains. 

The  next  difficulty  to  present  itself  after  the  first 
financial  crisis  was  over,  was  the  seeming  impossibil- 
ity of  getting  a  charter  for  the  institution.  It  hap- 
pened that  a  law  had  just  previously  been  enacted 
which  required  that  any  new  institution  of  a  chari- 
table nature  seeking  a  charter  must  first  receive  the 
sanction  of  the  proper  authorities.  Some  of  the  au- 
thorities were  known  to  take  the  stand  that  there 


The  Secret  of  Success  in  the  Work      189 

were  already  charitable  institutions  enough  ;  so  a  new 
plan  along  charity  lines  could  have  little  hope  of  rec- 
ognition. This  obstacle  seemed  to  be  impassable  ; 
yet  the  promise  of  God  to  make  the  crooked  ways 
straight  and  the  rough  places  smooth  was  soon  veri- 
fied. The  obstacle  melted  away  like  snow  be- 
fore an  April  sun.  Soon  the  charter  was  obtained 
and  a  strong,  earnest,  influential  body  of  men  were 
enlisted  as  a  Board  of  Directors. 

For  a  time,  things  went  somewhat  smoothly,  but 
soon  another  obstruction  loomed  on  the  horizon. 
This  time  it  was  the  rent.  The  building  in  which 
the  Club  was  first  started  was  at  the  time  under  the 
control  of  a  Chinese  physician,  who  himself  occupied 
the  second  floor  of  the  building.  From  him  was 
rented  at  first  one  room  on  the  third  floor,  with  the 
understanding  that  later,  if  desired,  the  entire  floor 
would  be  available.  In  a  few  weeks,  the  other  part 
of  the  floor  was  vacated  by  the  Chinaman  and  the 
Boys'  Club  expanded  to  occupy  the  entire  space. 

Some  time  after  this,  the  proprietor  of  the  build- 
ing notified  the  Club  managers  that  he  had  a  renter 
for  the  two  upper  floors,  so  the  boys  would  have  to 
get  out  unless  they  occupied  the  entire  space.  Then, 
obviously  hoping  to  get  the  boys  out,  the  good  doc- 
tor stipulated  that  the  entire  year's  rent  must  be  paid 
in  advance.  This  seemed  impossible ;  but  still,  the 
superintendent  would  not  be  daunted.  He  "  got 
busy."  He  explained  the  situation  tersely  to  some 
men  of  means.  As  a  result  of  this,  $300  came  in 
from  one  party,  $200  from  another,  and — all  unex- 


igo  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

pected — $50  came  from  a  man  who  had  before  stated 
that  he  would  give  his  influence  and  his  time  but  he 
"  couldn't  give  any  money."  Others  contributed  un- 
til there  was  enough,  and  more  than  enough,  to  meet 
the  emergency. 

Again,  two  years  later,  another  crisis  arose. 

By  this  time,  a  cigar  merchant  was  occupying  the 
ground  floor  of  the  building,  the  Chinese  physician 
was  occupying  the  second,  and  the  Boys'  Club,  the 
third  and  fourth  floor. 

The  proprietor  of  the  cigar  store  down-stairs  de- 
manded that  "  the  noisy  kids "  be  put  out  of  the 
building.  So  destruction  again  appeared  in  sight ; 
but  the  superintendent  and  his  co-workers  went  to 
prayer. 

In  a  few  days,  notice  came  that  the  entire  building 
had  been  leased  by  another  company  who  would  oc- 
cupy the  ground  floor.  This  opened  the  way  en- 
tirely clear  of  obstructions,  and  the  entire  three  upper 
floors  of  the  building — extra  room  that  was  very 
much  needed — were  easily  subrented  from  the  new 
occupant. 

Another  crisis  came  further  on  when  it  seemed 
necessary  to  close  the  doors,  temporarily  at  least,  on 
account  of  insufficient  funds.  This  time  the  superin- 
tendent laid  the  matter  before  his  co-labourers  in 
prayer  meeting  assembled,  and,  as  usual,  the  assur- 
ance was  obtained  in  prayer,  that  the  Father  above 
still  stood  by  His  promise  that  He  would  never  leave 
nor  forsake. 

The  third  day  afterwards,  in  answer  to  this  prayer, 


The  Secret  of  Success  in  the  Work     191 

a  person  who  had  hitherto  been  time  and  again  ap- 
pealed to,  sent  in,  unsolicited,  a  check  for  one  hundred 
dollars.  About  the  same  time,  other  funds  arrived, 
and  so  the  work  went  on. 

These  are  a  few  instances  of  divine  interposition  in 
answer  to  faith  and  prayer,  when  without  it  the  work 
would  have  gone  under  the  tide  completely.  Yet, 
not  only  in  the  matter  of  necessary  finances  has  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  been  manifested.  Equal  help  has 
been  obtained  in  the  deciding  of  plans,  in  the  pro- 
curing of  helpers,  and  in  the  winning  of  spiritual  vic- 
tories in  the  slums. 

There  have  been  several  knotty  problems  to  solve 
in  the  history  of  this  work,  and  their  solution  has 
usually  been  through  a  direct  leading  in  answer  to 
prayer.  However,  there  is  always  linked  with  this 
trust  in  God,  sound  judgment,  wise  counsel,  and  care- 
ful business  methods.  The  two  things  are  not  incom- 
patible as  evidenced  by  the  lives  of  some  of  the 
world's  greatest  and  most  influential  men.  William 
E.  Gladstone  and  Lord  Shaftesbury  were  both  pray- 
ing men,  and  their  faith  was  like  that  of  a  child.  The 
same  can  be  said  of  Lincoln,  of  Grant,  of  Washing- 
ton, of"  Stonewall"  Jackson,  and  of  many  others. 

At  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  Girls'  depart- 
ment of  the  Club  in  1905,  a  great  question  arose  to 
be  decided.  The  need  for  a  separate  and  definite 
work  to  be  done  among  the  girls  of  the  slums  became 
apparent  to  several  of  the  workers  and  the  friends  of 
the  Club  at  the  same  time.  When  the  deciding  of 
the  question  could  be  no  longer  postponed,  the  super- 


192  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

intendent  called  a  meeting  of  the  workers  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  the  matter.  The  entire  after- 
noon was  spent  in  counsel  and  prayer.  After  count- 
ing over  the  things  which  opposed  and  those  which 
encouraged  the  work,  all  agreed  that  there  was  a 
great  and  crying  need  among  the  girls ;  but  no  one 
saw  how  the  work  could  be  done,  or  whence  the 
funds  for  so  great  an  undertaking  were  to  come.  The 
position  was  like  that  of  the  Israelites  of  old,  as  they 
looked  over  into  the  promised  land.  It  could  be  seen 
that  across  the  river  was  a  land  of  great  luxuriance 
and  wide  opportunity;  but  also  there  were  giants 
there.  As  in  that  case,  so  here,  spies  had  previously 
been  sent  out  to  survey  the  land.  One  of  the  work- 
ers had  already  canvassed  the  field  and  had  found  a 
building  near  by  on  State  Street,  which  could  be  had. 
The  building  was  perfectly  adapted  in  location  and 
size  for  the  temporary  needs  of  the  proposed  work ; 
but  the  giant  opposing  and  weakening  their  faith  was 
the  great  increase  of  expense.  Already,  the  superin- 
tendent and  those  responsible  for  the  finances  of  the 
work  were  overburdened,  so  that  this  added  amount, 
both  of  money  and  labour,  seemed  too  much  for 
human  strength.  Yet,  in  spite  of  these  obstacles, 
there  were  some  who  brought  a  favourable  report  and 
said :  "  Let  us  go  up  at  once  and  possess  it ;  for  we 
are  well  able  to  overcome  it." 

To  this  they  finally  agreed.  The  river  was  crossed, 
the  waters  rolled  back,  and  as  with  Israel  of  old,  the 
projectors  of  the  work  were  left  to  conquer  or  go 
down  in  the  fight.  As  is  always  true  of  those  who 


The  Secret  of  Success  in  the  Work     193 

"  trust  in  the  Lord,  and  go  forward,"  the  giants  were 
overcome,  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down,  and  to  this 
day,  the  land  is  being  held. 

Another  turning  point  was  reached  when  it  became 
necessary  to  decide  upon  the  question  of  opening  a 
branch  of  the  work  in  that  terribly  sin-infested  por- 
tion of  the  city  known  as  "  Little  Hell."  This  was, 
if  possible,  a  more  serious  question  to  decide  than 
that  of  the  Girls'  department,  for  this  involved  not 
only  the  financial  risk,  but  also  a  question  of  advisa- 
bility. As  there  were  other  agencies  already  at  work 
in  the  field,  the  question  arose,  should  we  feel  called 
upon  to  infringe  upon  their  territory  ? 

At  first,  only  a  small  and  an  experimental  begin- 
ning was  made.  A  basement  floor  was  rented,  a 
gymnasium  and  assembly-room  were  installed,  and 
the  work  was  launched  to  see  what  could  be  done. 
After  a  few  months  of  experiment,  the  possibilities 
of  the  work  seemed  so  promising  that  it  became 
necessary  to  either  organize  there  on  a  large  and  per- 
manent scale,  or  else  to  abandon  the  field  altogether. 

It  occurred  that  just  at  this  time  the  entire  three- 
story  building,  of  which  only  the  basement  had 
hitherto  been  in  use  by  the  Club,  was  advertised  for 
rent  at  the  price  of  sixty-five  dollars  per  month. 
This  meant  either  to  rent  it  all  or  to  rent  none. 

Having  spent  hours  in  thought  and  prayer  and 
counsel  over  the  matter,  one  morning,  after  a  restless, 
wakeful  night,  the  superintendent  saw,  as  if  in  a  trance, 
the  figures  "  50  "  blazoned  in  large  characters  on  the 
wall  of  his  chamber.  Although  he  is  not  a  man  of 


194  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

superstitious  or  credulous  nature,  he  took  this  as  an 
indication  that  he  was  to  go  forward. 

So  as  soon  as  possible,  he  explained  to  the  owner 
of  the  building  that  he  was  uncertain  whether  to  con- 
tinue his  work  in  that  locality  or  not ;  but  if  "  50  " 
dollars  per  month  would  be  any  inducement  to  him, 
he  would  undertake  the  rental  of  the  building  at  that 
price. 

To  his  gratification — not  to  his  surprise — the  owner 
returned  after  a  day  of  deliberation  and  accepted  the 
terms  offered.  Thus  was  sealed  the  promise :  "  I  will 
guide  thee  with  mine  eye." 

Work  was  started,  an  experienced  man  was  found 
for  manager  of  the  project,  and  the  work  is  to-day 
growing  fruit  for  future  harvests. 

Not  only  has  faith  brought  the  means  for  the  sup- 
port of  this  work  and  the  wisdom  necessary  for  its 
management,  but  also  it  has  brought  the  consecrated, 
God-appointed  men  and  women  necessary  for  its  up- 
building. 

It  is  not  the  man  who  has  received  the  highest 
salary  and  the  greatest  number  of  references  from 
some  other  institution  who  is  sought  as  a  worker 
here ;  no,  it  is  rather  the  man  who  is  fitted  by  nature 
and  grace — by  predestination  if  you  please — who  is 
chosen  for  the  work.  In  fact,  often  the  men  are  not 
sought  or  chosen  at  all,  but  come  just  at  the  time  of 
need.  There  are  cases  to-day  like  that  of  David,  who 
was  "  taken  from  the  sheepcotes,"  from  following  the 
"  sheep,"  and  was  made  king  over  Israel.  Such  a 
case  is  that  of  Mr.  C .  This  man  was  taken 


Branch  Club— No.  II 


The  Secret  of  Success  in  the  Work      195 

from  the  road,  from  a  responsible  position  as  travelling 
salesman  for  a  large  Chicago  Packing  House,  where 
he  was  making  a  large  salary  and  had  every  prospect 
of  worldly  advancement,  and  was  placed  over  the 
thousands  of  newsboys  and  street  waifs  of  Chicago  as 
their  protector  and  friend.  He  came  unsought  and 
undirected  by  any  human  hand.  While  on  the  road, 
wherever  he  went,  he  was  known  not  only  as  a  good 
salesman  and  a  Christian  business  man,  but  also  as  a 
great  lover  of  children.  No  children  ever  passed 
him  unnoticed,  and  the  more  ragged,  and  dirty,  and 
forsaken  they  were,  the  more  notice  he  took  of  them. 
His  attitude  was  so  kindly  and  so  genuine  towards 
everything  that  is  weak  or  mistreated  that  even 
vicious,  snarling  dogs  were,  in  certain  instances, 
known  to  respect  him  as  a  friend.  One  such  belong- 
ing to  a  butcher  on  his  territory  was  as  gentle  and 
harmless  as  a  lamb  in  his  presence,  while  to  every  one 
else,  he  was  entirely  unapproachable. 

Such  a  man  it  was  who  was  chosen  to  fill  a  vacancy 
as  the  head  worker  among  the  boys  of  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club. 

It  happened  that  a  few  months  before  the  vacancy 
occurred  at  the  Boys'  Club,  this  man  had  been  called 
to  the  superintendency  of  a  proposed  "  Boys'  Christian 
Club,"  composed  of  Sunday-school  children  from  the 
aristocratic  homes  of  Englewood.  After  a  short  time 
of  unsuccessful  effort  to  build  this  work  into  a  per- 
manent organization,  he  heard  for  the  first  time  of 
the  Chicago  Boys'  Club.  Within  three  weeks  after 
his  first  visit  to  the  Club,  in  fact  after  his  first  knowl- 


196  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

edge  of  the  existence  of  the  Club,  he  was  installed  as 
full  director  of  its  evening  classes.  He  came  on  the 
ground  before  the  resignation  of  the  former  director, 
and  was  ready  for  the  place  when  his  predecessor, 
from  unforeseen  necessity,  had  to  step  out. 

The  history  of  his  department  of  the  work,  and  in 
fact  of  the  whole  work  from  that  time, — for  his 
labour  has  influenced  it  all, — shows  the  certainty  and 
the  wisdom  of  this  divine  appointment. 

Another  worker  who  has  undoubtedly  been 
"  called  "  to  the  particular  work  in  which  she  is  en- 
gaged is  Miss  T ,  one  of  the  city  missionaries, 

or  "  Friendly  Visitors,"  as  they  are  called.  She  came 
into  the  work  in  somewhat  the  same  way  as  did  the 
man  above  mentioned.  While  she  was  engaged  as  a 
housekeeper  in  a  home  on  the  North  Side,  she  one 
night  visited  the  Boys'  Club,  became  interested  in  its 
work,  asked  if  there  was  anything  she  could  do,  and 
finally  offered  herself  as  a  teacher  in  its  basket  weav- 
ing department.  For  almost  a  year  she  gave,  en- 
tirely without  pay,  three  of  her  evenings  every  week 
to  this  work.  She  did  not  even  accept  the  payment 
of  her  carfare.  Not  only  this,  but  she  made  regular 
contributions  of  money  into  the  treasury  of  the  Boys' 
Club.  All  of  this  time,  her  work  as  housekeeper  on 
the  North  Side  was  still  continued.  Later  she  be- 
gan to  put  in  what  hours  she  could  spare  from  home 
duties  in  accompanying  the  Club's  Friendly  Visitors 
on  their  rounds.  Through  this  practice,  she  was  led 
on  until  she  had  found  her  life  work. 

A  few  years  ago  a  young  man  went  into  the  office 


The  Secret  of  Success  in  the  Work     197 

of  the  Club  and  offered  himself  as  a  worker  in  the 
cause.  Just  then,  there  was  a  vacancy  in  the  clerk- 
ship, so  he  was  used  to  fill  the  place.  He  proved  to 
be  probably  the  best  man  ever  connected  with  the 
work  for  searching  out,  drawing  to  him,  and  influenc- 
ing for  good,  the  toughest  of  the  tough,  the  typical 
"  alley  rats,"  the  pickpockets,  the  sleep-outs,  and 
those  boys  whom  no  one  else  could  handle  at  all. 
He  was,  and  is,  a  born  slum  worker.  After  several 
months  spent  in  valuable  consecrated  work  among 
the  boys,  he  went  to  an  Eastern  College  to  prepare 
himself  for  the  ministry. 

Others  who  have  done  good  work,  have  begun  by 
walking  into  the  superintendent's  office,  asking  a  few 
awkward  questions,  and  finally  offering  their  services 
should  there  be  anything  for  them  to  do.  Such  an 
one  the  superintendent  turns  loose  in  the  rooms,  free 
to  do  whatever  he  can  find  that  needs  doing.  Some 
of  these  have  gone  into  the  game-room  or  the  gym- 
nasium, strolled  about  aimlessly,  struggled  and 
blundered  and  failed  for  a  time  at  one  task  and  an- 
other, until  finally  they  have  found  their  place  and 
fitted  into  it.  These  usually  find  that  there  are  many 
things  they  cannot  do  ;  but  there  is  one  thing  they 
can  do ;  that  thing  they  were  made  to  do,  and  woe  be 
unto  them  if  they  do  it  not.  Thus,  the  Boys'  Club 
has  been  the  making  of  many  a  man  by  discovering 
for  him  his  life  work,  as  it  has  been  the  making  of 
many  a  boy  of  the  slums  by  fitting  him  for  a  life 
work. 

As  a  wise  master  builder  plans  every  beam  and 


198  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

joint,  every  arch  and  pillar  that  is  to  go  into  the  house 
which  he  is  constructing,  so  this  work  seems  to  have 
been  planned  by  One  wiser  than  man.  "  A  man  for 
every  place  and  every  man  in  his  place  "  is  the  motto 
of  every  successful  enterprise,  whose  working  staff 
has  been  chosen  under  divine  guidance. 

There  is  no  place  here  for  nephews  and  friends  and 
worn-out  preachers  seeking  an  easy  living,  but  only 
for  strong,  faithful,  consecrated,  God-appointed  men 
and  women. 

Besides  the  finding  of  workers,  the  deciding  of 
plans  and  the  raising  of  money,  another  way  clearly 
shown  in  this  work  is  in  the  winning  of  spiritual  vic- 
tories. 

A  few  of  these  victories  have  been  described  in 
Chapter  V  of  this  book.  But  there  are  others 
which  will  never  be  known  until  the  last  day,  when 
the  secrets  of  men's  hearts  are  disclosed. 

A  wise  man  has  said :  "  Figures  count  but  little 
when  we  are  dealing  with  soul-stuff."  As  it  is 
primarily  with  "  soul-stuff"  that  these  workers  are 
engaged,  the  good  done  cannot  be  adequately  re- 
corded in  cold  figures.  Yet  figures  are  kept  most 
scrupulously  in  the  office  of  this  institution,  from  the 
penny  of  the  Sabbath-school  child  and  the  dime  of 
the  poor  washerwoman  to  the  hundreds  of  the 
wealthy.  Also,  the  attendance  and  the  personal 
record  of  every  boy  and  girl  member  of  the  Club  is 
accurately  kept.  All  of  the  accounts  are  carefully 
and  regularly  audited  by  the  board  of  directors  of 


The  Secret  of  Success  in  the  Work      199 

the  institution,  and  the  facts  and  figures  of  the  work 
are  made  public  in  an  annual  report  printed  in 
the  Boys'  Club  organ,  Darkest  Chicago  and  Her 
Waifs. 


XIII 
CONCLUSION 

As  a  conclusion  to  the  foregoing  pages,  it  seems 
appropriate  to  quote  a  few  extracts  from  a  letter 
recently  received  at  the  office  of  the  Chicago  Boys' 
Club.  This  letter  is  used,  not  because  it  is  peculiar 
or  because  it  is  at  all  considered  presumptuous  ;  but 
because  it  is  a  good  sample  of  the  many  like  it  that 
are  being  received  constantly. 

"  Chicago,  III. 
«  MR.  J.  F.  ATKINSON, 

"  Suft.  Newsboys'  Home, 
"  MY  DEAR  SIR  : 

"  The  marked  paragraphs  on  the  reverse  of  this  sheet  caught 
my  eye.  As  my  wife  and  I  have  contributed  two  or  three  times  in 
the  past  to  your  noble  work,  it  will  perhaps  not  be  out  of  place  for 
me  to  express  my  opinion  of  said  paragraphs  to  you.  Is  it  not  strange 
that  a  city  of  over  2,000,000  people  like  Chicago  with  its  untold 
wealth  does  not  speedily  equip  you  for  the  more  extensive  work  you 
desire  to  do  for  the  newsboys  ?  Why,  there  are  plenty  of  names  on 
the  last  page  of  your  little  magazine,  any  one  of  whom  could  donate 
the  entire  amount  of  your  last  year's  expenditure  and  never  miss  the 
gift.  Yet  we  people  of  very  moderate  means  are  appealed  to  away 
out  here  in  Iowa  to  assist  in  caring  for  rich  Chicago's  newsboys. 
What's  the  matter  with  your  own  millionare  citizens  ?  These  needy 
newsboys,  like  Lazarus  at  the  gate  of  Dives,  are  lying  at  their 
doors  !  " 

The  paragraphs  referred  to  in  the  above  letter  were 
as  follows : 

200 


Conclusion  2O1 

"  The  principles  underlying  the  great  rescue  work  of  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club  are  as  broad  as  the  needs  of  the  human  race,  and  yet  a 
few  people  who  chance  to  live  outside  of  the  corporate  limits  of  the 
city  of  Chicago  decline  to  support  it  on  the  ground  that  they  do  not 
happen  to  live  within  the  city. 

"  Is  this  your  conception  of  charity  or  of  a  magnanimous  man  ? 

"  Of  course  these  people  do  not  understand  that  some  of  the  best 
work  we  do  is  on  behalf  of  the  poor  country  boys  who  gravitate  to 
this  great  city  from  all  over  the  Middle  West." 

Yes,  certainly  it  is  true  that  this  institution  has 
individual  contributors  who  are  abundantly  able  to 
meet  its  entire  yearly  expenses,  but  the  question  is, 
would  it  be  best  if  they  should  ? 

It  is  also  true  that  there  is  ample  wealth  in  the  city 
of  Chicago  and  in  other  great  cities,  with  which  to 
meet  all  the  needs  of  their  poorer  classes.  But  the 
question  is  one  greater  and  wider  than  that.  It  is 
not  only  money  in  the  abstract  that  these  various 
institutions  need,  but  a  wide  range  of  interested 
helpers.  The  superintendent  of  a  great  and  widely 
useful  philanthropy  once  said,  "  The  worst  thing  that 
could  happen  to  this  institution  would  be  for  some 
man  to  give  it  a  million  dollars." 

Suppose  for  an  instant  that  all  of  these  multitudinous 
charitable  enterprises  were  easily  supported  by  the 
wealthy  leisure  classes,  and  that  no  call  or  no  plea 
was  ever  sent  out  to  the  great  mass  of  people  with 
moderate  means ;  how  sorely  would  they  be  deprived 
of  one  of  the  greatest  privileges  and  blessings  of  life  ! 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club,  as  an  example,  obtains 
its  support  from  a  very  extensive  field.  During  the 
year  1906  there  were  2,438  individual  contributors  to 


2O2  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

its  "Waifs'  Treasury"!  Of  these,  1,111  resided 
within  the  city  of  Chicago.  The  state  of  Illinois, 
outside  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  made  896  individual 
contributions.  The  other  431  contributions  came 
from  individuals  residing  in  fourteen  different  states 
and  one  foreign  country.  These  fourteen  different 
states  included  territory  from  California  to  New  York 
and  from  Canada  to  New  Mexico.  Of  these  2,438 
individual  contributions,  1,962,  or  eighty  per  cent,  of 
the  whole  number,  were  in  sums  of  less  than  ten 
dollars.  The  individual  amounts  contributed  during 
the  year  varied  in  size  from  five  thousand  dollars  to 
ten  cents.  It  can  easily  be  seen  that  if  one  man  had 
freely  donated  the  entire  $15,813  necessary  for  the 
expenditures  of  that  year,  the  other  4,237  persons 
who  did  contribute  towards  the  support  of  the  work 
would  have  been  cheated  out  of  the  privilege  of 
giving,  and  many  of  them,  I  am  assured,  did  count  it 
a  privilege. 

Then  again,  if  one  person  had  contributed  the 
entire  amount,  the  other  2,437  persons  who  con- 
tributed to  the  support  of  the  work  would  not  have  a 
financial  interest  in  it,  and  it  is  far  better  to  have 
2,438  individuals  pouring  their  money  into  the  pos- 
sibilities of  Waifdom  than  to  have  one  individual  do 
all  the  pouring.  Statistics  like  the  above  can  be 
shown  from  many, — in  fact,  from  almost  all  other 
charitable  institutions. 

The  donations  towards  the  support  of  the  famous 
Bowery  Mission  in  New  York  City  are  poured  in  in 
small  amounts  from  all  over  the  country,  and,  in  fact, 


Conclusion  203 

from  all  over  the  world.  The  great  world-famous 
work  of  Dr.  Thos.  J.  Barnardo  in  England  is  con- 
ducted along  the  same  lines.  During  the  forty  years 
of  their  existence,  "  Dr.  Barnardo's  Homes "  have 
received  in  contributions  the  amount  of  $16,579,660. 
In  the  year  1905  there  were  received  $981,430.  Out 
of  the  94,591  individuals  who  together  contributed 
this  amount,  87,289,  or  over  ninety-one  per  cent,  of 
the  gifts  were  in  sums  of  under  fifteen  dollars,  and 
sixty-three  per  cent,  of  the  whole  were  under  five  dol- 
lars each.  Although  there  were  a  few  gifts  of  $1,000, 
$2,000  and  $5,000,  the  average  amount  of  each  dona- 
tion stood  at  about  ten  dollars.  As  usual  it  is  the 
small  giver  who  was  the  hero  of  the  occasion. 

One  writer,  as  quoted  in  the  previous  pages,  has 
said,  "  Our  close  relations  with  the  ignorant,  the  de- 
graded, the  vicious,  which  it  is  impossible  to  escape, 
are  forcing  us  to  do  them  good  in  self-defense." 

The  preceding  chapters  of  this  book  have  shown 
in  detail  how  the  immigrants  from  foreign  climes  are 
landing  in  multitudes  upon  our  shores  and  settling  in 
swarms  in  our  city  slums.  As  they  form  colonies  in 
our  great  cities,  they  create  as  a  writer  has  said, 
"  Hotbeds  for  the  propagation  and  growth  of  false 
ideas  of  political  and  personal  freedom,"  and  these  hot- 
beds, if  allowed  to  continue,  become  not  only  a  menace 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities  in  which  they  are 
located,  but  a  danger  to  every  citizen  of  the  country 
into  which  they  have  come.  It  behooves  us  then  as 
a  nation,  not  only  as  citizens  of  a  local  community, 
to  rise  up  in  our  might  and  check  this  rising  evil  be- 


204  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

fore  it  destroys  us.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  it 
that  "  the  religious  campaign  of  the  future  must  be 
waged  chiefly  in  the  great  cities." 

It  was  shown  in  chapters  two  and  three  of  this 
book  that  within  these  cities  lie  a  missionary  prob- 
lem and  a  missionary  opportunity  such  as  the  world 
has  never  faced  before,  and  these  cities  present  a  call 
to  duty,  not  only  to  every  Christian  but  to  every 
loyal  American. 

It  seems  to  be  the  idea  of  some  people  that  Chi- 
cago's 2,000,000  inhabitants  are  all  millionaires.  The 
fact  is  not  generally  considered  that  one  in  every  ten 
of  these  2,000,000  people  is  not  only  unable  to  help 
support  the  city's  institutions,  but  must  be  supported 
by  the  other  nine-tenths  of  the  people,  and  it  is  not 
considered  that  even  among  these  nine-tenths  who 
are  in  a  measure  self-supporting,  scarcely  one-tenth 
of  them  are  at  all  benevolently  inclined.  Over  three- 
fourths  of  the  entire  2,000,000  of  population  are  for- 
eigners, and  the  foreigners  cannot  be  expected  to 
help  evangelize  themselves. 

"  Great  cities,"  says  a  writer,  "  are  sore-spots  on  the 
body  politic."  If  these  sores  are  allowed  to  spread, 
they  will  contaminate  the  whole  body.  Chicago  is 
the  nation's  centre  to  which  come  not  only  its  ambi- 
tious and  aspiring  ones,  but  also  its  dissatisfied  and 
discouraged  ones.  It  is  the  place  where  a  few  have 
made  millions  and  multitudes  have  gone  down  in  the 
struggle.  "  Chicago,"  says  a  writer,  "  is  the  inevita- 
ble centre  for  the  forty  millions  of  the  West."  From 
this  centre  there  radiate  in  all  directions,  good  or 


Conclusion  205 

evil  influences,  according  as  the  city  is  good  or  evil, 
and  to  this  centre,  there  gather  from  all  directions, 
those  who  are  going  to  rise  with  its  tide  or  sink  in 
its  abysses  according  as  they  are  borne  up  by  its 
good  institutions  or  dragged  down  by  its  evil  agencies. 
Chapters  VI  and  VII  of  this  book  have  shown  what 
are  some  of  the  evil  agencies  which  are  ensnaring 
the  youth  of  this  city,  Chapter  X  has  shown  how 
boys  who  drift  into  the  city  are  ensnared  and 
dragged  down  by  these  same  evil  influences,  the  en- 
tire book  has  shown  what  is  being  done,  and  has 
given  a  larger  vision  of  what  ought  to  be  done,  to 
overcome  these  evils.  The  larger  the  city,  the  greater 
are  its  problems,  the  more  multitudinous  are  its  char- 
ities, and  the  less  charitable  are  its  multitudes. 

When  the  country  at  large,  or  any  individual  com- 
munity in  the  country,  can  claim,  as  Chicago  can,  a 
percentage  of  only  one-fifteenth  of  its  population  as 
members  of  some  evangelical  church,  and  a  ratio  of 
only  one  Protestant  church  for  every  3,270  of  its  in- 
habitants, a  proportion  of  seven  saloons  to  every 
church  of  any  denomination,  one  criminal  to  every 
thirty  of  its  people,  one  insane  person  to  every  400 
and  one  pauper  to  every  ten,  then  the  people  from 
that  community  may  justly  begin  to  call  upon  the 
city  for  assistance.  In  communities  like  the  lumber 
camps  of  Northern  Michigan,  the  mining  camps  of 
Alaska  and  the  West,  the  negro  settlements  of  the 
South,  and  the  mountain  regions  of  Tennessee  and 
Kentucky,  needy  conditions  do  exist,  and  into  these 
regions  as  into  the  slums  of  the  great  cities,  there 


206  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

are  constantly  pouring  the  free-will  offerings  of  those 
who  feel  that  they  are  their  brothers'  keeper. 

It  is  certain  that  people  refuse  to  give  to  the  cause 
of  city  missions  and  city  philanthropy  because  they 
are  ignorant  of  the  conditions  in  the  city  and  una- 
ware of  the  crying  needs  which  its  conditions  repre- 
sent. So  let  this  book  close  with  the  words  used  in 
a  former  chapter  :  "  If  it  is  due  to  a  lack  of  intimate 
knowledge  or  a  consequent  dearth  of  personal  feeling 
of  responsibility  that  the  people  fail  to  go  to  the  help 
of  the  needy,  we  who  do  know  and  feel,  will  be 
charitable  and  condemn  ourselves,  rather,  for  not 
bringing  to  them  the  news." 

The  purpose  of  this  book,  frankly  stated,  is  to 
bring  to  all  who  will  heed,  the  news  that  there  are 
Waifs  of  the  Slums  and  that  there  is  A  Way  Out. 


APPENDIX 


SIDE  LIGHTS 


"TONY,"  MY  FIRST  WAIF 
By  J.  F.  Atkinson,  Superintendent 

IT  was  a  raw,  chilly,  December  day  with  a  little 
snow  and  considerable  of  ice  on  the  partially  frozen 
ground.  The  clouds  were  scurrying  overhead  and 
the  rumble  of  wagons  on  the  stone  paved  streets, 
heavily  laden  with  various  kinds  of  freight  at  this  busy 
season  of  the  year,  could  be  heard  in  every  direction. 
The  clickety-click  of  the  electric  cars,  cable  lines  and 
elevated  trains,  the  familiar  sound  of  the  "  hurry-up 
wagon  "  with  its  powerful  gong,  and  the  usual  amount 
of  smoke  and  soot,  dust  and  dirt  flying  in  the  air,  the 
roar  of  commerce  and  the  hurrying  multitudes  and 
the  evidences  of  abounding  life  all  went  to  make  it  a 
typical  Chicago  day.  Everybody  seemed  to  be  in  a 
hurry.  Chicago  was  in  the  saddle  and  on  the  stretch 
going  pell-mell  at  break-neck  speed  after  pork  and 
beef,  stocks  and  bonds.  No  wonder  Chicago  is 
quoted  as  "  the  busiest  city  in  the  world." 

During  the  day  I  had  occasion  to  visit  the  News- 
boys' Restaurant  in  "  de  alley."  I  threaded  my  way 
amidst  the  throng  of  the  streets  and  turned  into  the 
alley,  which  was  crowded  with  delivery  wagons  and 
coal  wagons.  I  very  soon  located  the  place,  No.  171 
"  De  Alley,"  and  was  told  that  I  would  find  the  res- 
taurant on  the  second  floor.  Entering  a  dark,  dingy 

209 


210  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

hallway  and  climbing  a  dark  stairway  to  the  second 
floor,  I  entered  the  restaurant,  which  was  being  con- 
ducted by  ex-newsboys. 

After  attending  to  my  errand  I  looked  the  com- 
pany of  little  battered  mites  of  humanity  over  and 
decided  that  this  would  be  an  opportune  time  for  me 
to  get  "  next "  to  some  of  "  de  guys."  Seizing  the 
opportunity,  I  ordered  my  "  red-hots."  No  sooner 
was  I  seated  at  the  lunch  counter,  constructed  of 
plain  boards,  than  the  waiter  called  my  attention  to 
"  Tony "  with  the  remark,  "  That  kid  ain't  got  no 
one  in  the  world  to  look  after  him."  I  invited 
"  Tony "  to  a  seat  by  my  side,  which  he  accepted 
reluctantly  and  with  fear  and  trembling,  for  it  is  to 
be  remembered  that  these  little  street  waifs  are  sus- 
picious of  a  stranger  in  their  midst,  thinking  perhaps 
he  is  there  looking  for  some  one  of  them  whom  he 
wishes  "  de  copper  "  to  "  pinch." 

It  is  to  our  shame  that  we  do  not  recognize  these 
little  fellows  until  the  sap  begins  to  boil  up  in  them 
and  they  do  one  of  the  thousand  and  one  things  we 
all  have  done,  or  wanted  to  do  if  we  but  dared  to  do 
it,  and  as  soon  as  he  commits  some  little  misde- 
meanour we  "  pinch  "  him  and  run  him  off  to  the 
police  station. 

I  soon  relieved  "  Tony  "  of  his  fears  in  this  direc- 
tion, and  inquired  of  him  concerning  his  history. 
So  far  as  he  knows,  both  his  parents  are  now  dead. 
His  grandmother  brought  him  from  across  the  sea  to 
Chicago  a  few  years  ago,  where  she  lived  with  him 
in  Noble  Street  until  recently,  when  she  died.  Since 


"Tony,"  My  First  Waif  211 

his  grandmother's  death  "  Tony "  has  wandered  in 
Darkest  Chicago  with  bruised  and  weary  feet. 

I  inquired  of  him,  "Where  did  you  sleep  last 
night  ?  "  He  replied, "  De  ingineer  in  Monroe  Street 
let  me  sleep  in  de  ingin  room  for  shov'lin1  five  wheel- 
barrow loads  of  coal  fur  'im."  On  further  inquiry  I 
found  that  Tony  was  accustomed  to  sleeping  in 
engine  rooms,  over  grates,  and  in  front  of  "  hot 
wheels"  in  the  alleys,  in  damp  cellars,  under  stair- 
ways, and  such  other  unsanitary  and  unhealthy  places 
as  would  in  a  measure  protect  him  from  the  cold. 
At  this  juncture,  I  gave  him  my  card  and  requested 
him  to  call  at  my  office,  where  he  would  find  me 
later. 

I  heard  nothing  more  from  him  until  three  weeks 
later.  While  selling  "  extras "  one  cold  December 
day,  he  caught  a  severe  cold  and  was  threatened  with 
typhoid  fever,  but  fought  it  off  for  several  days,  when 
he  finally  gave  up  and  his  "  pard  "  wanted  him  to  go 
to  the  police  station  for  shelter.  (Oh,  the  thought  of 
it  causes  the  cold  chills  to  play  up  and  down  my 
spinal  column !)  But  Tony,  remembering  my  card, 
searched  it  out  from  among  his  tattered  and  torn 
rags  and  gave  it  to  his  "  pard  "  with  the  request  that 
he  should  call  on  me  and  see  whether  or  not  I  could 
do  anything  for  him.  Of  course,  I  sent  for  him  at 
once  and  thirty  minutes  later  had  him  in  my  office, 
where  I  found  him  to  be  suffering  with  a  consider- 
able fever,  a  sore  throat  and  a  lame  back.  His  lips 
were  so  parched  and  his  eyes  so  sunken  that  I 
scarcely  recognized  him  as  the  rugged  little  Tony 


2 1 2  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

I  had  met  three  weeks  before.  His  condition  simply 
beggared  description.  And  yet,  his  case  is  but  a 
type  of  hundreds  of  others,  as  yet  unrescued,  who 
have  never  known  any  of  the  comforts  of  home  or 
the  restraining  or  the  enlightening  influences  of  moral 
or  religious  teaching,  but  all  their  lives  have  been 
herding  with  the  most  abandoned. 

They  know  little  else  than  heavy  blows,  brutal 
kicks  from  heavy  boots,  semi-savagery  and  semi- 
starvation.  The  ill  conditioned,  fetid  slums  where 
they  are  forced  to  spend  their  time  gets  the  better  of 
them  and  they  succumb  to  sickness  and  disease. 

I  secured  the  services  of  a  physician,  who  exam- 
ined Tony  and  prescribed  for  him,  after  which  we 
sent  him  to  a  hospital,  where  under  skillful  treatment 
he  recovered  rapidly  and  in  due  time  came  back  to 
my  office  with  ruddy  cheeks  and  sparkling  eyes  and 
reported  himself  ready  for  work.  I  decided  to  take 
Tony  home  with  me  that  night  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  further  winning  his  confidence  and  studying 
the  needs  of  his  case  at  close  range.  After  keeping 
him  within  our  family  circle  a  few  days,  I  decided 
that  if  there  was  a  worthy  case  among  America's 
wastrels  that  case  was  the  one  in  hand,  so  I  offered 
to  send  him  to  one  of  our  orphanages  where  he 
would  be  well  cared  for  and  I  would  pay  all  bills. 
But  that  was  not  according  to  Tony's  idea  of  Amer- 
ican citizenship.  He  wanted  a  "  job  "  and  a  job  he 
would  have.  During  these  days  he  spent  most  of 
his  time  in  my  office.  One  day  I  gave  him  a  little 
money  and  told  him  to  go  out  and  get  something  to 


"Tony,"  My  First  Waif  213 

eat.  That  was  the  last  I  saw  of  him  for  three  days. 
Just  when  the  foundation  of  my  faith  in  him  was 
giving  way  he  stepped  into  my  office  and  with  beam- 
ing face  told  me  how  he  "  struck  a  job  "  in  connec- 
tion with  one  of  our  great  daily  papers  the  day  I  sent 
him  out  to  get  his  lunch.  I  predict  for  Tony  a 
bright  future,  and  I  will  never  regret  the  outstretched 
hand  with  the  few  dollars  that  helped  him  over  the 
crucial  point  in  his  life. 

I  cannot  close  this  too  brief  account  of  what  has 
been  accomplished  in  the  life  of  our  poor  little  waif, 
who  is  only  a  sample  of  hundreds  of  others  with 
whom  we  are  dealing  constantly,  without  pressing 
upon  my  readers  the  question  which  keeps  ringing  in 
my  ears  and  surging  in  my  mind  :  "  What  is  to  be- 
come of  our  Tonys  ?  "  Our  population  is  increasing 
by  leaps  and  bounds,  the  congestion  is  becoming 
more  dense  every  day.  Hundreds  and  thousands  of 
these  waifs  and  strays  are  clamouring  for  admittance 
to  our  Boys'  Clubs  and  are  in  direst  need.  And  yet 
there  is  no  work  so  hopeful  or  so  productive  of 
splendid  and  almost  immediate  results  as  the  rescue 
of  the  young  from  these  vicious  and  degrading  en- 
vironments. Never  can  the  wise  investor  place  his 
money  out  to  better  interest  and  with  a  more  certain 
prospect  of  profitable  returns  than  when  he  invests  it 
in  the  possibilities  of  the  "  men  of  to-morrow." 

Who  can  compute  the  importance  of  Christianiz- 
ing these  hundreds  and  thousands  of  rough  and 
ready,  ragged  and  dirty,  tattered  and  torn,  crap 
shooting  and  car  flipping  boys  who  are  dubbed  by 


214  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

the  scornful  as  "  alley  rats,"  who  know  nothing  of 
order  nor  discipline  nor  of  obedience  nor  restraint  of 
any  kind,  and  who  must  otherwise  become  a  peril  to 
our  nation  and  a  reproach  to  Christianity  ? 

Now  is  the  time  to  save  them.  Let  the  influences 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ  be  brought  to  bear  at  an  early 
age  upon  the  characters  and  dispositions  of  these  lit- 
tle "  hooligans  "  ;  let  wise  training  be  added,  suitable 
to  the  age  and  physical  conditions,  and  the  future 
welfare  of  all  those  rescued  is  partially  secured  and 
many  social  problems  which  now  perplex  the  most 
thoughtful  will  in  the  next  generation  have  found  a 
satisfactory  solution.  These  would  be  incentives  and 
rewards  enough  for  the  patient,  faithful  workers 
among  the  waste  material  of  our  slums. 


DARKEST  CHICAGO  AND  HER  WAIFS 
By   Willis   W.  Cooper,  Deceased 

MUCH  has  been  said  of  the  ways  in  which  we  can 
make  "  a  better  Chicago."  Much  of  it  is  senseless 
and  foolish,  because  the  would-be  reformers  seek  to 
reverse  the  natural  order  of  things  and  would  begin 
at  the  top  of  a  building  rather  than  at  the  foundation. 

The  Chicago  boy  of  to-day  will  be  the  citizen 
voter  of  to-morrow.  We  wonder  at  the  conditions 
of  things  in  certain  wards  of  the  city  and  speculate 
how  these  conditions  can  be  changed.  Any  student 
who  will  give  a  moment's  consideration  to  the  facts 
will  find  that  the  recruits  to  the  army  of  bums  and 
law-breakers  that  infest  the  city  come  from  among  the 
boys  who  are  growing  up  in  ignorance,  poverty  and 
neglect.  There  they  are, — thousands  of  them, — sur- 
rounded by  every  vice  known  to  man,  growing  up 
day  after  day,  familiarizing  themselves  with  vice  by 
associating  with  thieves,  gamblers,  drunkards,  wife- 
beaters,  harlots  and  everything  else  that  is  bad,  with 
no  one  to  hold  out  to  them  a  helping  hand. 

Chicago  is  not  a  stranger  to  anarchy.  In  1887, 
her  policemen  were  mowed  down  by  the  dynamite 
bomb,  and  all  who  are  not  blind  to  the  facts  must  re- 
alize that  we  are  living  over  a  volcano,  which,  like 
Mt.  Pelee,  is  likely  to  break  forth  in  an  awful  eruption 
at  any  hour.  I  think  it  was  Dr.  Spencer  who  said  : 

"5 


216  .     Waifs  of  the  Slums 

"  There  is  not  a  country  on  earth  so  foreign  as  Amer- 
ica. The  streets  of  London  are  said  to  contain 
samples  of  the  customs  and  costumes  from  every  part 
of  the  globe.  In  the  bazaars  of  Constantinople,  they 
speak  the  language  and  dialects  of  all  the  countries 
bordering  the  Mediterranean  sea,  but  the  cities  of  New 
York  and  Chicago  are  more  foreign  than  London  or 
Constantinople." 

If  you  will  come  with  me  to  the  Chicago  Boys' 
Club,  I  will  show  you  children  from  almost  every 
nationality  on  earth.  Many,  fourteen,  fifteen  and 
sixteen  years  of  age,  can  neither  read  nor  write,  but 
they  are  educated  in  the  ways  of  the  street  and  ac- 
quainted with  the  haunts  of  vice.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  struggling  missions,  absolutely  nothing 
is  being  done  for  these  boys  of  the  Levee  district. 
The  public-spirited  citizens  of  Chicago  cannot  direct 
their  philanthropies  to  a  better  advantage  than  to 
pour  their  contributions  into  this  district  and  take 
hold  of  the  thousands  of  boys  who  are  a  part  of  the 
foundations  of  the  future  Chicago.  "  Our  duty  to 
ourselves  and  our  Christ  demand  that  we  educate, 
Christianize  and  assimilate  these  hordes  into  our  re- 
ligious and  political  life."  When  a  foreign  substance 
is  introduced  into  the  human  body,  one  of  two  things 
happens.  Either  the  substance  is  assimilated  or  ex- 
pelled from  the  body,  or  the  body  dies  from  blood 
poison. 

The  Emperor  of  Germany  is  building  chapels  for 
the  poor  on  the  outskirts  of  Berlin  in  order  to  Chris- 
tianize the  masses  who  threaten  to  endanger  the 


Darkest  Chicago  and  Her  Waifs       217 

peace  and  safety  of  the  capital.  He  believes  it  is 
cheaper  to  build  churches  than  prisons.  I  know 
that  all  of  our  church  organizations  are  pressed  to  the 
limit  with  activities  too  numerous  to  mention,  but 
here  is  a  condition  in  which  there  is  actual  peril,  and 
the  time  has  passed  for  talk.  We  must  act  now. 
We  cannot  wait  for  action  along  denominational 
lines.  Here  is  a  work  that  must  be  taken  up  at  once, 
and  it  can  best  be  accomplished  by  the  united  effort 
of  all  Christian  and  patriotic  citizens. 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  has  been  organized  over 
five  years  and  is  located  at  No.  262  State  Street,  near 
Van  Buren  Street,  which  street  is  the  dead-line  be- 
tween the  great  business  interests  of  the  city  and  the 
slum  district.  It  has,  during  this  period,  actually  en- 
rolled over  2,000  of  these  street  boys  and  come  in 
contact  with  thousands  more  who  have  made  the 
club  rooms  their  rendezvous.  The  Club  has  pro- 
vided a  large  gymnasium,  which  is  the  only  play- 
ground these  boys  have  in  which  to  work  off  their 
"superfluous  energies."  They  have  also  a  large 
lounging-room,  in  which  are  games  of  an  interesting 
and  harmless  character.  In  this  room  is  an  office, 
where  the  boys  are  encouraged  to  patronize  a  branch 
of  the  Chicago  Penny  Savings  Bank.  There  is  also 
a  piano,  where,  at  the  close  of  the  day,  numbers  of 
the  boys  gather  together  and  sing  gospel  songs. 
There  are  other  rooms  in  different  parts  of  the  build- 
ing in  which  classes  are  taught  in  printing,  drawing, 
basket-weaving,  carpentry,  shoe-cobbling,  etc.  In 
another  department  are  located  bathing  facilities, 


218  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

where  many  of  the  boys  enjoy  free  baths.  Some  of 
them  have  here  taken  baths  over  their  entire  bodies 
for  the  first  time  in  their  lives. 

They  do  not  pretend  to  have  solved  the  boy  prob- 
lem, or  to  have  found  the  best  possible  methods  for 
handling  these  neglected  classes,  but  they  have  made 
a  beginning  and  the  past  experience  has  shown  that 
boys  can  be  reached  and  that  they  are  hungry  for  the 
advantages  and  privileges  that  can,  in  this  way,  be 
put  within  their  reach.  A  marked  success  in  their 
efforts  is  noticed  by  the  gradual  and  phenomenal 
changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the  conduct,  clean- 
liness and  general  appearance  of  many  boys  who 
came  into  the  rooms  in  dirt,  rags  and  squalor  a  few 
months  ago. 


A  POLYTECHNIC  INSTITUTE  FOR  WAIFS 
By  Professor  Solon  C.  Bronson 

THE  Chicago  Boys'  Club  was  organized  in  1901  to 
meet  the  necessity  of  the  street  boys  of  Chicago. 
Mr.  J.  F.  Atkinson,  who  had  been  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  Illinois  Children's  Home  Finding  So- 
ciety and  whose  heart  had  been  deeply  stirred  over 
the  condition  of  Chicago  waifdom,  is  the  man  who, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  began  the  work.  He  did 
not  at  first  know  exactly  what  the  field  was,  nor  yet 
what  methods  would  be  needful,  but  he  wisely  set 
himself  to  studying  the  field,  and  adjusted  his  agen- 
cies to  meet  the  needs  discovered.  The  way  in 
which  the  project  was  developed  is  at  once  a  testi- 
mony to  Mr.  Atkinson's  wisdom  and  a  prophecy  of 
large  success.  The  work  thus  far  has  the  qualities 
which  make  for  endurance,  since  it  is  but  the  re- 
sponse of  a  living  organism  to  its  environment. 
Every  feature  of  it  has  grown  up  in  answer  to  some 
real  need.  And  the  end  is  not  yet,  for  greater  things 
are  in  the  future. 

The  needs  of  the  field  are  great.  That  the  num- 
ber of  boys  in  the  down-town  district  is  large,  much 
larger  than  the  frequenters  of  that  region  would  sus- 
pect, is  clear.  It  is  estimated  that  there  are  from 
eight  to  ten  thousand  newsboys  in  Chicago.  There 
are  one  thousand  messenger  boys,  two  thousand 

219 


220  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

more  are  employed  in  the  great  department  stores. 
Then  there  are  scores  and  hundreds  of  office  boys, 
errand  boys,  bootblacks,  waifs  and  strays.  Chicago 
is  the  Mecca  of  Waifdom  for  all  this  great  West. 
"  Let  Chicago  take  care  of  its  own  waifs,  or  pay  for 
hanging  them,"  wrote  one  testy  woman  who  refused 
to  help.  Yes,  but  they  are  not  all  Chicago's  waifs 
that  we  must  care  for  or  hang.  But  if  they  were, 
some  of  these  waifs  would  damage  other  communi- 
ties before  they  were  hanged. 

The  condition  of  the  boys  reached  by  the  Club  is 
pitiable.  It  aims  at  the  lowest  level  of  humanity, 
and  reaches  it.  Much  of  our  charity  strikes  too 
high.  After  you  have  built  and  endowed  your  edu- 
cational institutions  and  libraries,  it  still  remains  that 
there  is  a  great  mass  of  our  citizens  growing  up  on 
a  plane  far  below  the  public  library ;  and  this  class, 
rather  than  that  touched  by  the  educational  institu- 
tions, constitute  the  social  peril.  The  majority  of 
these  boys  have  homes  of  some  sort,  but  the  oldest 
Friendly  Visitor  reports  that  if  we  were  to  answer  the 
question  from  a  physical,  mental  and  moral  stand- 
point, she  found  but  one  home  which  could  be  con- 
sidered at  all  wholesome  for  a  boy,  and  that  was  the 
very  modest  home  of  a  coloured  family.  Another 
visitor  reported  that  in  the  visitation  of  seventy-five 
families  she  had  not  found  more  than  a  half  dozen 
homes  where  boys  had  even  the  physical  comforts  of 
life.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  most  of  the  homes  are 
mere  sheds,  unfit  from  any  point  of  view  for  human 
habitation. 


A  Polytechnic  Institute  for  Waifs     221 

Then  there  is  a  small  army  of  "  sleep-outs,"  waifs 
and  strays,  which  no  man  can  number  because  of  its 
variableness.  On  my  desk  as  I  write  is  a  flashlight 
photograph  taken  in  midwinter  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  It  is  a  basement  room  without  furniture. 
Scattered  about  the  floor  are  newspapers  and  playing 
cards,  while  twenty-six  boys  are  seen  sprawling  on 
the  floor  asleep,  some  sitting  against  the  walls,  one 
with  his  arms  about  an  iron  post,  some  sufficiently 
aroused  for  the  camera  to  catch  the  eye,  and  some  of 
them  smoking  cigarettes.  "  How  many  boys  are 
there  in  the  down-town  district  ?"  I  asked  of  the  su- 
perintendent. "  Don't  know,"  he  said.  "  If  you 
asked  me  how  many  dogs  there  were,  I  could  go  to 
the  records  and  find  out,  but  nobody  keeps  tab  on 
the  boys."  A  majority  of  the  boys  in  the  Club  sell 
papers,  "  shine  'em  up,"  "  hustle  baggage,"  and  the 
like.  Many  of  them  are  thieves,  beggars  and  para- 
sites. They  come  from  everywhere  and  nowhere. 
Some  of  them  are  children  of  prostitutes,  many  of 
them  come  from  homes  ruined  by  drink  and  others 
are  the  offspring  of  other  forms  of  social  misfortune. 
They  are  of  all  shades,  of  all  nationalities,  all  sizes, 
all  shapes,  and  all  in  dire  need.  Some  of  them  never 
had  a  bath  until  coming  to  the  Club. 

As  a  result  of  the  compulsory  education  act,  it  is 
estimated  that  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  them  attend 
school  with  some  degree  of  regularity.  Yet  the 
principal  of  one  of  the  down  town  schools  reported 
to  the  superintendent  that  if  all  the  truants  in  that 
school  district  were  gathered  together  there  would  not 


222  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

be  room  for  them  in  the  school  building.  The 
Juvenile  Court  deals  only  with  boys  who  have  com- 
mitted some  offense  and  are  arrested.  The  judge 
may  then  either  parole  to  a  probation  officer,  commit 
to  the  John  Worthy  School,  send  to  Pontiac  or  to  the 
Parental  School,  or  to  some  of  the  various  Catholic 
institutions.  But  for  the  boy  who  has  not  thus 
placed  himself  under  the  ban  of  the  law,  no  provi- 
sion is  made. 

When  we  reflect,  then,  that  these  little  boys  whose 
need  is  so  great  are  being  reached  continuously  by  no 
other  agency,  the  field  and  function  of  the  Chicago 
Boys'  Club  may  be  understood.  And  how  shall  the 
Club  reach  these  boys  ?  That  is  no  easy  task,  for 
one  of  the  saddest  phases  of  this  life  is  the  fact  that 
the  boys  are  deeply  suspicious  of  every  agency  put  in 
operation  for  their  benefit.  Like  rats  driven  into  the 
light  on  the  street,  alarmed  and  expecting  some 
enemy,  so  these  boys  constantly  look  with  suspicion 
upon  every  attempt  to  do  them  good.  This  has  been 
seen  again  and  again  in  connection  with  the  penny 
savings  bank.  A  little  fellow  has  been  known  to  put 
a  penny  in  and  then  shortly  take  it  out,  "  just  to  see 
it  the  thing  worked  "  ;  and  only  after  repeated  trials 
of  this  sort  would  he  have  courage  to  leave  his  little 
capital  there  for  future  good.  But  this  suspicion 
holds  respecting  all  this  thing  we  call  society. 
Kicked  and  driven  from  place  to  place,  ragged,  foot- 
sore, strangers  to  kindness  but  acquainted  with  fear, 
is  it  any  wonder  that  these  boys  distrust  every  effort 
to  help  them  as  some  scheme  "  to  do  'em  up  "  ?  Or 


A  Polytechnic  Institute  for  Waifs     223 

that  they  are  anarchists  in  embryo ;  their  hand  against 
every  man's  hand?  Some  of  them  have  good 
grounds  to  fear  society,  for  they  are  thieves  and 
hoodlums,  and  occasionally  are  armed  with  deadly 
weapons.  Ordinary  methods  therefore  do  not  work 
here.  "  The  Sunday-school  racket "  does  not  go  with 
these  lads,  nor  will  they  stand  for  the  ordinary  way 
of  preaching  the  gospel. 

And  yet  the  Club  does  reach  them  helpfully  in 
many  ways.  It  is  distinctively  a  Christian  institution. 
The  superintendent  and  all  his  assistants  stand  for 
the  highest  ideals  of  Christian  life.  "  The  primary 
object  and  paramount  purpose  of  the  work  is  and  ever 
shall  be  the  reclamation  of  the  boys  in  all  that  the 
word  means."  "  All  our  meetings  are  gospel  meet- 
ings." These  utterances  of  the  superintendent  in- 
dicate the  deeply  religious  spirit  of  the  work.  I  once 
said  of  this  man,  "  He  does  this  work  for  love  of  the 
boys."  He  corrected  me  instantly.  "  Say, '  He  does 
it  for  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ.'  " 

The  Club  is  organized  on  what  is  technically 
known  as  the  mass-club  idea.  The  boys  are  first  ad- 
mitted to  a  game  room.  Each  boy  on  entering  is 
"  checked  up,"  that  is,  his  cap  is  checked  and  his 
name  registered.  Then  he  seeks  the  thing  in  the 
room  that  strikes  his  fancy.  Perhaps,  if  he  is  new  to 
the  surroundings,  he  loiters  about  watching  the  other 
boys  at  play,  until  at  length  he  finds  a  place  in  some- 
where. If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is  already  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  the  several  classes,  he  at  once  makes 
for  the  room  set  apart  for  that  class,  or  if  he  has  no 


224  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

class  at  that  hour  he  employs  himself  as  he  chooses. 
Little  restraint  is  exercised  upon  the  boys  in  this 
game-room,  except  that  some  volunteer  worker 
supervises,  keeps  score,  or  directs  in  the  game.  The 
game-room  is  one  of  the  most  important  features  in 
the  institution.  It  is  a  cardinal  principle  of  this  room 
that  a  boy  must  preserve  order,  be  considerate  of 
others,  neither  to  lie  nor  cheat  and  to  be  careful  of  the 
games  and  furniture.  Here  many  a  boy  for  the  first 
time  learns  the  difference  between  right  and  wrong. 
If  it  be  true,  as  some  pedagogues  believe,  that  the 
playground  is  the  best  place  to  teach  ethics,  then 
the  fact  finds  abundant  illustration  in  this  game- 
room  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club.  Very  quickly  a 
sense  of  these  things  is  established  as  a  code  amongst 
these  boys. 

Here,  too,  is  the  sorting  process,  as  the  gentle 
workers  move  in  and  about  the  boys.  Each  boy  is 
studied,  personal  acquaintance  is  made,  and  after  a 
little  time  his  likings  are  discovered.  He  may  want 
to  go  to  the  manual  training  class,  or  the  gymnasium, 
or  he  may  find  interest  in  some  other  department. 
There  are  about  twelve  of  these  departments  now,  in- 
cluding manual  training,  printing,  cobbling,  basket 
weaving,  drawing,  pyrography  and  the  gymnasium. 
Then  there  are  a  kindergarten,  a  Young  Citizens' 
Club,  popular  entertainments,  public  meetings,  and  a 
Sunday-school.  Some  of  the  general  features  are  a 
shower  bath,  the  dormitory  where  stranded  boys  may 
sleep,  a  penny  savings  bank,  an  employment  bureau, 
provision  for  furnishing  meals  to  hungry  boys,  and  a 


A  Polytechnic  Institute  for  Waifs     12$ 

system  of  visitation.  Not  all  of  these  activities  are 
carried  on  at  the  same  time.  There  is  not  room  for 
that.  To-night,  for  instance,  in  the  "  drawing-room  " 
six  little  fellows  are  engaged  in  pyrography.  There 
are  two  of  these  classes  on  a  given  night,  one  from 
seven  to  eight,  and  the  second  from  eight  to  nine. 
The  rule  is  that  if  a  boy  makes  two  articles  on  any 
design,  he  may  keep  the  second  one  or  dispose  of  it 
as  he  wishes.  Some  energetic  lads  sell  their  wares  to 
the  frequent  visitors.  The  Young  Citizens'  Club 
meets  one  evening  each  week.  It  is  an  organization 
entirely  controlled  by  the  boys,  and  the  forms  of  par- 
liamentary law  are  observed.  Very  recently  this 
Club  sent  a  telegram  to  President  Roosevelt,  which 
seemed  to  strike  a  high  note  of  patriotism.  The 
remaining  evenings  this  Club  is  presided  over  by  a 
volunteer  worker  who  gives  the  boys  heart  to  heart 
talks  on  religious  subjects,  or  matters  kindred 
thereto. 

The  kindergarten  provides  for  the  smaller  boys 
who  are  prepared  to  enter  the  other  departments. 
The  art  room  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  places  in 
the  Club  and  one  which  shows  the  largest  results  of 
any.  Two  boys  from  this  room  are  now  in  the 
Chicago  Art  Institute. 

Arthur  Burrage  Farwell  in  a  letter  to  Luther  Laflin 
Mills,  the  president  of  the  Chicago  Boys'  Club,  says  : 
"  One  dollar  spent  on  a  boy  from  six  to  ten  years 
of  age  is  equal  to  fifty  dollars  spent  on  a  youth  of 
eighteen."  In  the  light  of  that  expression  what  more 
economical  work  for  boys  can  be  found,  or  what 


226  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

better   protection   for  society  than   the  money  ex- 
pended in  this  work  ? 

It  is,  moreover,  susceptible  of  illimitable  develop- 
ment. It  is  the  purpose  not  only  to  add  other  de- 
partments as  rapidly  as  the  funds  will  justify,  but 
ultimately  to  teach  anything  the  boys  may  need,  in 
short  to  establish  a  polytechnic  institute  for  the  low- 
est and  most  helpless  of  our  citizens.  "  We  need  a 
little  more  money,  not  to  invest  in  pork  and  beef, 
stock  and  bonds,  but  in  <  embryo  men/  the  men  of 
to-morrow." 


WAIFDOM 
By  Bishop  Joseph  F.  Berry 

"  Go  with  me  and  take  a  peep  at  our  Chicago 
Boys'  Club,"  said  Mr.  Willis  W.  Cooper  the  other 
afternoon.  I  readily  consented. 

A  walk  of  five  minutes  brought  us  to  No.  262 
State  Street,  one  of  the  headquarters  of  Chicago 
waifdom. 

State  Street  is  unique.  You  will  find  retail  dry 
goods  stores  upon  a  half-dozen  streets  of  New  York 
or  Boston  or  Philadelphia.  But  the  Chicago  dry 
goods  trade  is  crowded  into  one  street — State  Street — 
and  occupies  only  three  or  four  blocks  of  space.  The 
west  side  of  State  Street  is  as  different  from  the  east 
side  as  the  Bowery  is  different  from  Fifth  Avenue. 
Along  the  east  side  saunter  the  Chicago  Four  Hun- 
dred— men  well  dressed  and  well  groomed,  and 
women  arrayed  in  the  height  of  fashion.  Along  the 


Waifdom  227 

west  side  shamble  a  miscellaneous  multitude — all 
sorts  and  conditions  of  men  and  women,  many 
poorly  clad,  frayed,  and  faded — representatives  of 
twenty  nationalities,  and  jabbering  as  many  dialects. 
•  From  Lake  Street  to  Monroe  Street,  State  Street 
is  well  kept  and  respectable.  Below  Monroe  saloons 
multiply.  Cheap  hotels  and  lodging-houses  abound. 
Pass  Van  Buren  Street  and  you  are  in  the  slums. 
And  such  slums !  Red-faced  men  hover  about  the 
saloon  doors.  Dissolute  women  stare  brazenly  into 
your  face.  Half-clad  unwashed  children  play  on  the 
sidewalks  and  in  the  alleys.  The  air  is  heavy  with 
the  fumes  of  stale  beer.  The  laugh  of  the  harlot 
mingles  with  the  ribald  songs  and  cursings  of  half- 
drunken  men  at  the  bars  and  card  tables.  Cheap 
theatres  and  gaudy  concert  halls  occupy  the  store 
spaces  once  used  for  legitimate  business.  Passion 
runs  riot.  Dissipation  everywhere.  Wretchedness 
everywhere.  Ruin  everywhere.  The  wages  of  sin 
is  death.  This  is  the  cashier's  headquarters,  and  this 
is  pay  day !  And  what  a  pay-roll  he  has  !  No.  262 
is  in  the  "  respectable  "  part  of  State  Street,  but  near 
the  fringe  of  the  levee.  That  makes  the  location  just 
right.  Three  floors  of  the  building  are  used.  Before 
the  place  was  rented  for  the  Boys'  Club,  it  was  a 
well-known  opium  den.  Some  of  the  little  rooms 
where  the  wretched  victims  of  the  opium  habit 
smoked  and  slept  their  lives  away  still  remain.  The 
odour  of  the  deadly  drug  still  haunts  the  place. 

But   what    a   transformation   has   been   wrought! 
Climbing   the  first  flight  of  stairs,  we  entered  the 


228  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

assembly-room,  a  plain  and  tasteful  place.  In  front 
the  superintendent's  office.  I  found  Superintendent 
Atkinson  at  his  desk,  and  he  seemed  glad  to  tell  me 
the  story  of  this  unique  enterprise. 

"  After  ten  years'  experience  in  philanthropic 
work,"  he  said,  "  and  a  careful  study  of  the  needs  of 
the  field,  I  was  strangely  led  to  try  to  provide  a  clean, 
wholesome  place  of  entertainment  for  our  8,000  news- 
boys, our  1,000  telegraph  messenger  boys,  our  sev- 
eral thousand  office  and  errand  boys,  our  scores  and 
hundreds  of  rough-and-ready,  ragged-and-dirty,  tat- 
tered-and-torn,  crap-shooting,  car-flipping  little  waifs 
and  strays  who  know  nothing  of  order  nor  discipline, 
nor  of  obedience  nor  restraint  of  any  kind,  but  have 
been  accustomed  to  run  wild,  and  to  claim  the  liberty 
of  turning  day  into  night.  Homeless  and  destitute 
children  are  thronging  our  streets.  These  poor, 
ragged,  footsore  tramp  children  represent  the  waste 
material  of  our  slums.  Some  of  them  are  under  the 
care  of  the  thief-trainer  and  professional  beggar, 
Some  are  blind.  Some  are  crippled  for  life.  Some 
are  the  victims  of  inherited  disease.  Some  are  girl 
waifs,  who  have  begged  for  the  privileges  of  our 
club-rooms,  but  we  have  been  obliged  to  turn  them 
away.  How  one's  heart  yearns  to  save  them  all ! 
How  I  wish  our  doors  could  be  thrown  open  to 
admit  the  multitude  of  struggling,  perishing  waifdom, 
whose  condition  beggars  description,  and  who  are  in 
the  direst  need." 

"  Do  the  boys  seem  glad  to  become  members  of 
the  Club  ?  "  I  asked. 


Waifdom  229 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  superintendent.  "  As  soon 
as  they  understood  what  we  were  aiming  at  they 
came  in  battalions,  We  enrolled  a  thousand  mem- 
bers the  first  year.  The  number  has  since  increased. 
If  we  had  room  we  could  have  four  times  as  many." 

"  What  part  of  your  work  do  the  boys  seem  to 
appreciate  most  ?  " 

"  Well,  the  baths  are  a  great  attraction.  Some  of 
the  urchins  had  never  had  a  bath  in  their  life  that 
they  could  remember,  and  it  is  a  luxury  which  it  is 
utterly  impossible  for  you  or  me  to  understand. 
Then  they  are  exceedingly  fond  of  the  gymnasium 
and  the  recreation-room.  Some  place  the  highest 
estimate  on  the  simple  educational  work  we  have 
attempted.  You  would  be  surprised  at  the  interest 
awakened  in  some  of  the  boys  in  the  study  of  art." 

Mr.  Atkinson  told  me  the  story  of  his  struggle  to 
get  the  club  started,  and  the  great  joy  which  came 
to  him  when  he  found  an  opportunity  to  present  his 
plans  to  Mr.  Cooper.  In  this  enterprise,  Mr.  Cooper 
saw  an  "  open  door,"  and  he  threw  himself  into  the 
work  with  characteristic  devotion  and  liberality.  It 
now  occupies  a  place  in  his  heart  scarcely  second  to 
that  of  foreign  missions.  Indeed,  he  considers  it  one 
of  the  greatest  missionary  opportunities  of  our  day. 
How  my  friend's  face  shone  as  he  told  me  of  his 
plans  to  help  Mr.  Atkinson  to  a  larger  work  for 
Chicago  waifdom ! 

I  found  a  dozen  boys  playing  games  in  the 
recreation-room.  They  were  all  alike  and  all  differ- 
ent. Every  boy  had  the  unmistakable  marks  of  the 


230  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

street  gamin.  The  Italian  countenance  and  com- 
plexion predominated.  One  had  regular  features, 
flaxen  hair  and  blue  eyes.  If  his  face  had  been  clean 
and  his  graceful  little  body  had  been  dressed  in 
becoming  attire  he  would  have  been  handsome. 
Who  was  he  ?  What  his  personal  history  ?  Was  he 
a  ragged  waif  because  of  the  profligacy  of  parents 
who  threw  away  their  lives  and  robbed  their  boy  of 
even  half  a  chance  to  life  ?  I  felt  like  asking  the  lad 
if  he  knew  anything  about  his  parents  and  his  history, 
but  there  was  so  much  pathos  in  the  blue  eyes  which 
looked  into  mine  that  the  interrogation  died  upon  my 
lips.  Many  of  the  little  fellows  can  neither  read  nor 
write.  The  story  of  the  gladness  of  the  boys  when 
they  found  they  could  print  their  own  names  was 
touching.  The  lads  know  the  value  of  a  dime  and  a 
dollar,  though.  They  are  great  on  mental  arithmetic. 
Most  of  them  are  newsboys  and  bootblacks.  All 
their  short  lives  they  have  been  accustomed  to 
"  making  change." 

But  here  is  the  art-room.  A  plain  little  apartment 
it  is.  There  are  no  easels.  A  long  table  takes  their 
place.  There  are  no  models  for  the  students  in 
sculpture.  There  are  no  masterpieces  in  oil  or 
water-colour  or  crayon  upon  the  walls  to  instruct  and 
inspire  the  youthful  artists.  The  room  is  bare  save 
for  the  few  drawings  which  have  been  pinned  on  the 
walls.  But  some  of  these  sketches  exhibit  decided 
skill.  I  took  two  of  them  down  and  asked  the 
privilege  of  reproducing  them  in  the  columns  of  The 
Epworth  Herald.  Frank  Russo  drew  the  face  of  the 


Waifdom  231 

ancient  gentleman.  Have  you  not  seen  that  counte- 
nance on  the  street — so  sordid  and  selfish  and  gross  ? 
If  young  Russo,  just  off  the  street,  could  produce  a 
face  so  true  to  life,  what  could  he  not  accomplish  in 
the  field  of  portrait-painting  could  he  but  have  first- 
class  opportunities  ?  Then  take  that  picture  of  the 
cow  by  Mike  Rotheizer.  It  is  far  from  perfect,  you 
say  ?  Of  course  it  is.  But  when  you  remember  that 
the  picture  was  sketched  after  a  few  lessons  given 
under  the  most  adverse  conditions,  do  you  not  see 
great  promise  for  the  boy  ?  I  am  glad  to  say  that 
Mike  is  to  have  a  chance.  Mr.  Atkinson  has  secured 
for  him  admission  to  the  Chicago  Art  Institute, 
where  he  has  begun  his  studies  with  enthusiasm. 

Then  here  is  a  room  devoted  to  instruction  in 
basket-weaving.  The  boys  take  to  that  industry  with 
relish. 

When  I  visited  the  bath-room  a  half-dozen  boys 
were  taking  an  afternoon  wash-up.  Poor  little  chaps, 
it  is  the  only  chance  they  have  to  enjoy  the  luxury ! 

When  the  boys  take  off  their  clothing  it  passes  at 
once  into  the  keeping  of  the  janitor.  This  rule  is 
necessary  because  of  the  propensity  to  steal  which 
many  of  the  lads  have  acquired.  They  do  not  know 
any  better.  They  have  been  schooled  in  a  life  of 
thievery,  so  that  it  is  about  as  natural  to  them  as  it  is 
to  wink  or  to  breathe.  To  change  their  ethical 
notions  will  not  be  easy.  The  people  who  work  for 
the  salvation  of  the  street  gamin  toil  at  a  task  which 
involves  almost  infinite  difficulties. 

But  how  the  youngsters   did   enjoy  that  water! 


232  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Their  shouts  had  in  them  those  peculiar  tones  which 
tell  of  pleasure  unadulterated — like  unto  those  we  old 
boys  used  to  send  forth  long  years  ago  when  we  went 
to  the  river  on  a  hot  summer  night  and  disported 
ourselves  in  the  waters  which  flowed  clear  and  cool 
from  the  springs  high  up  in  the  mountains ! 

The  Chicago  Boys'  Club  has  little  more  than 
begun  its  career.  It  has  entered  a  wide  and  fruitful 
field.  Chicago  is  the  Mecca  of  waifdom  for  the  great 
Mississippi  Valley.  Senator  Hoar,  in  an  address  de- 
livered in  this  city  a  few  weeks  ago,  said  :  "  Chicago 
is  foremost  among  American  cities — foremost,  so  far 
as  I  know,  among  the  cities  of  the  world  in  the  great 
virtue  of  public  spirit.  She  may  well  look  forward 
with  an  assured  and  sober  confidence  to  the  time 
when  the  sceptre  which  passed  away  from  Rome, 
shall  pass  away  from  London,  and  shall  be  within  her 
grasp."  If  the  senator's  prophecy  is  to  be  realized, 
something  must  be  done  for  that  wretched  section  of 
the  city  where  these  waifs  and  strays  are  herded 
together  with  the  most  depraved  men  and  women, 
and  where  they  are  in  forced  attendance  on  the 
school  of  crime.  It  is  a  gigantic  mission-field.  It 
has  as  yet  scarcely  been  touched  by  Christian 
agencies.  This  Boys'  Club  can  reach  only  the  fringe 
of  the  problem.  Its  work  should  be  enlarged  and 
reinforced.  It  just  now  needs  the  aid  of  generous 
friends.  It  needs,  also,  the  Christly  services  of  some 
who  have  consecrated  themselves  to  do  the  Lord's 
work  wherever  and  whenever  He  may  open  a  door  of 
opportunity.  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto 


Waifdom  233 

one  of  the  least  of  these  My  brethren,  ye  have  done 
it  unto  Me,"  said  the  Master. 

Does  such  work  pay  ? 

Let  me  answer  by  referring  you  to  some  of  the 
fruits  of  their  labour. 

No  one  knows  what  possibilities  of  goodness  and 
greatness  are  buttoned  up  under  the  tattered  jackets 
of  boys  in  the  slums.  Considering  the  rough,  hard 
life  they  have  lived  it  is  a  wonder  they  are  as  good 
as  they  are.  They  have  been  cuffed  and  kicked  and 
bruised  and  almost  killed  by  the  brutes  among  whom 
they  have  lived.  No  refining,  uplifting  influences 
have  touched  their  lives.  The  pull  has  ever  been 
downward.  They  have  breathed  the  air  of  the  alley 
and  the  sewer.  They  have  lived  near  the  mouth  of 
the  pit.  When  the  dirt  has  been  washed  off,  new 
ideals  implanted,  new  ambitions  aroused,  better  prin- 
ciples understood,  and  the  power  of  Christ  undergirds 
them,  who  knows  to  what  altitudes  of  purity  and 
graciousness  and  usefulness  they  may  rise  ! 

Long  ago  a  rector  of  the  University  of  St.  Andrew 
took  a  forsaken  orphan  between  his  knees,  and  said  : 
"  My  silly  fatherless  and  motherless  boy,  it's  ill  to  wit 
what  God  may  make  of  thee."  That  boy  was  Andrew 
Melville  in  embryo.  Luther's  schoolmaster,  the  great 
Trebonius,  used  to  take  off  his  hat  when  he  entered 
his  schoolroom.  "  I  uncover  my  head,"  he  would 
say,  "  to  honour  the  consuls,  chancellors,  doctors, 
masters  who  shall  proceed  from  this  school." 

Does  it  require  the  vision  of  a  prophet  to  see  that 
some  of  the  rough  material  gathered  into  this  Boys' 


234  Waifs  of  the  Slums 

Club  will  be  formed  into  clean,  strong,  symmetrical 
men — men  who  will  honour  society  and  the  church, 
and  who  will  be  an  everlasting  credit  to  those  who, 
amid  difficulties  and  discouragements,  sought  to  lift 
them  up  ? 


ESSAYS  AN*  ADDRESSES 


Listening  to  God.     Edinburgh  Sermons 

-.amo,  Cloth,  net  $1.35.  HUGH  BLACK 

Kn»wn  to  the  American  peoples  chiefly  because  at  his  "FRIEND- 
SHIP," which  has  attained  a  sale  of  65.000,  known  to  American 
scholars  as  the  newly  chosen  professor  for  the  Chair  of  Practical  Theo- 
logy in  Union  Seminary,  Mr.  Black's  volume  of  sermons  valedictory 
to  his  leaving  a  most  successful  tern  years  pastorate  in  Edinburgh 
amply  sustains  The  Outlook's  dictum  that  "Hagh  Black  is  a  man  of 
great  earnestness  and  simplicity  of  nature  and  very  fine  intellectual 
quality." 

Paths  to  the  City  of  God 

lamo,  cloth,  net  $1.25.  F.  W.  QUNSAULU6 

This  volume  succeeds  and  supplements  "Paths  to  Power."    In  the 
few  months  since  the  publication  of  this  first  series  of  sermons  by  the 
entral  Ch 
he  forthcom 
acceptance. 

The  Fortune  of  the  Republic 

xamo,  Cloth,  gilt  top,  net  (1.20.       NEWELL  D  WIGHT  HILLIS 

Studies..  National  and  patriotic,  on  America  of  today  and  America 

of    tomorrow.       Uniform    in   style    and   entirely    complementary  to 

A  MAN'S  VALUE  TO  SOCIETY,  THE  INVESTMENT  OF  IN- 

FLUENCE, etc. 


ew  mons  snce  te  pucaton  o   ts    rs   sees  o    sermons     y 
Pastor   of   Central  Church,   Chicago,  there  have   been   issued  five 
editions.    The  forthcoming  volume  gives  rich  promise  of  even  larger 


The  Orbit  Of  Life.     Studies  in  Human  Experience. 

iamo,  Cloth,  f  i.oo  net  W.  T.  HERRIDQE 

In  this  series  of  Essays  the  pastor  of  St.  Andrew's  Church  at 
Ottawa,  Canada,  has  touched  upon  some  of  life's  pleasures  and  prob- 
lems in  a  most  attractively  helpful  way.  His  view  of  life  is  broad,  and 
his  touch  upon  human  sympathies  delicate  but  incisive. 

Christ   and  Science;    or  Jesus  Christ  Re- 
garded as  the  Center  of  Science. 

MOW,  Cloth.  |i.25  net         PROF.  FRANCIS  HENRY  SMITH 

The  Cole  lectures  for  1906  delivered  before  Vaoderbilt  University. 
This  author  has  the  full  attraction  of  daring,  yet  sober  thought  and 
expression.  Without  following  any  teacher  or  former  line  of  thought 
he  shows  that  the  laws  of  advancing  science  are  growing  constantly 
nearer  the  laws  of  accepted  Christian  Faith  and  Life. 

The  Duty  of  Imperial  Thinking 

and  other  Eeeays  on  Themes  Worth  While 

lamo,  Cloth,  |i.oo  net  REV.  W.  L.  WATKINSON 

"Dr.  Watkinson's  conception  is  that  of  a  broad,  devout,  ob«erve«t 

and  humorous  Christian.     The  essays  are  refreshingly  brief  and  full 

of  the  substance  of  thought  drawn  from  wide  reading  and  observation 

of  men  and  things."—  CongrtgatitnaKst. 


PRACTICAL  CHRISTIANITY 


Quiet  Talks  on  Service 

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hundreds  of  thousands  who  have  read  and  re-read,  either  in  their  orig- 
inal form  or  in  their  many  translations,  "Quiet  Talks  on  Power"  and 
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Two  booklets  by  the  author  of  QUIET  TALKS  ON  POWER  and 
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The  Philosophy  of  Christian  Experience 

Studies  in  the  Art  and  Science  of  Religion. 

jmo,  Cloth,  $1.25  net.  HENRY  W.  CLARK 

Marcus  Dods  in  the  Britith  Weekly  says:  "Not  twice  in  a  gener- 
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ligion. What  we  actually  find  is  a  very  thorough,  profound,  and 
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The  Pact  Of    Christ      Nevi  Popular  Edition 
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The  Mosaic  Law  in  Modern  Life 

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values." — N,  Y.  Observer. 


The  Universality  of  Jesus 

itmo,  Cloth,  7sc  net.     REV.  Q.  A.  JOHNSTON-ROSS,  M.  A. 

The  purpose  of  this  little  volume  is  stated  by  the  author  to  be 
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ation wistfully  subconscious  of  its  distance  from  the  Christ  of  the 
Bible?" 


DEVOTIONAL  AND  PRACTICAL 
Living  in  the  Sunshine 

iamo,  Cloth,  f  i.oo  net  HANNAH  WHITALL  SMITH 

The  author  of  THK  CHRISTIAN'S  SBCRET  OF  A  HAPPY  LIF«  states 
that  the  object  of  her  new  book  is  to  help  those  who  have  as  D.  L. 
Moody  used  to  say,  "just  enough  religion  to  make  them  miserable." 
The  book  will  undoubtedly  bring  comfort  to  many  thousands  to  whom 
her  first  book  has  been  a  valuable  guide. 

Yet  Another  Day  J.H.JOWETT 

A  new  large  type  edition,  printed  in  two  colors.    Cloth,  75  cents 
-,  net.    Leather,  (i.oo  net. 

A  brief  prayer  far  every  day  in  tke  year. 

This  little  book  in  a  few  short  months  has  demonstrated  its  right 
to  be  classed  among  such  devotional  favorites  as  "Gold  Dust,"  "Daily 
Light,"  etc. 

A  Believer's  Thoughts 

A  book  of  verse,  with  introduction  by  G.  Campbell  Morgan,  D.  D. 
BDITH  HICKHAN  DIVALL 

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The  publishers  offer  the  work  of  Miss  Divall  as  the  most  worthy 
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The  Folly  of  Unbelief  aixd  Other  Meditations 
for  Quiet  Moments.  J.  H.  JOWETT 

ismo,  Cloth,  5oc  net. 

This  book  is  a  re-issue  in  larger  {arm  of  "Meditations  for  Quiet 
Moments — a  series  of  devotional  sketches  of  more  than  usual  merit  by 
Dr.  Jowett.  "Each  one  of  these  meditations  may  be  likened  to  a 
nugget,  and  the  gold  therein  is  good." — Lutheran  Observer, 

Prayers  by  C.  H.  Spurgeon 

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Spurgeon  could  approach  the  throne  of  grace  and  commune  with 
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cation of  his  public  prayers.  They  are  models  of  form  and  English, 
it  is  true,  but  they  are  live  and  deeply  spiritual  and  scriptural. 

How  to  Bring  Men  to  Christ 

R.  A.  TORRE Y 

tfevu  Popular  Edition,  paper  cover,  a$c  net ;  Cloth,  ysc. 

"A  plain,  simple,  forcible  treatise,  judicious  and  practical,  which 
all  Christians  will  do  well  to  study." — Tke  Congregntionnliit. 

Inspiration  in  Common  Life 

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lation of  undetected  illustrations  of  spiritual  truth." — Baptist  Times. 


THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 


How  to  Conduct  a  Sunday  School 

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General  Secretary  of  the  International  Sunday  School  Association 

"Packed  full  of  useful  information.     Filled  with  details,  specific 

and  practical,  for  which  a  host  of  workers  have  longed  and  prayed. 

The  book  gives  the  cream  of  life-long  experience  and  observation.     In 

its  concrete  details  lies  its  unique   and  practical  service."  —  The  Ex- 

mminer. 

Pencil  Points  for  Preacher  and  Teacher 

With  an  Introduction  by  Rev.  Robert  S.  McArthur,  D.D. 
Illustrated,  Cloth,  net  $1.25.  ROBERT  F.  Y.  PIERCE 

Dr.  Pierce  is  the  recognized  exponent  of  the  art  of  conveying 
Scripture  truth  by  means  of  blackboard  sketches  and  object  lessons. 
Crowded  with  illustrations  of  blackboard  drawings  and  suggestions 
and  forms  a  fitting  companion  to  his  popular  book,  "Pictured  Truth." 

Kindergarten  Bible  Stories  ow  Testament. 

Illustrated,  i2mo,  Cloth,  net  $1.25.         By  LAURA  E.  CRAQIN. 

Devoted  to  the  stories  of  which  the  little  folks  never  tire,  but  told 
in  the  inimitable  style  for  which  this  author  has  an  exceptional  gift 
as  well  as  a  peculiar  discernment  in  bringing  out  the  lesson  of  value. 

Plan   A   I  £>ccr\n     And   other  Talks    to   Sunday 

fian  a  wesson         School  Teachers. 

and  Edition.    i6mo,  Cloth,  net  $oc.       M  AR1  ANN  A  C.  BROWN 

"Suggestive,  interesting,  valuable  ......  The  writer  is  an  experienced 

teacher,  who  has  made  proof  of  her  theories,  and  who  is  well  able  to 
make  valuable  suggestions."  —  Herald  and  Presbyter. 

The  Gist  of  the  Lesson—  1906 

Leather,  net  250  (  Vest  pocket  size)  R.  A.  TORREY 

Interleaved,  Leather,  net  500 

The  seventh  annual  issue  of  this  multum  in  parvo  upon  the  Inter- 
national Sunday  School  lessons.  A  most  popular  exposition.  Nearly 
fifty  thousand  copies  sold  annually. 


Practical  S.  S.  Lesson  Commentary  For  1906 


The  Twentieth  Century  New  Testament 

Final  Revised  Translation  1905. 

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embodied  in  the  New  Revised  and  Final  Edition.  This  is  the  product 
of  thirteen  years  labor  by  *  score  of  translators  and  is  practically  a 
»«w  translation. 


EVANGELISTIC. 


The  Evangelistic  Note  A  study  of  needs  and  methods. 

together  with  a  series  of  direct  appeals. 

3rd  Edition.    lamo,  Cloth,  net  (1,25.  W.  J.  DAW5ON 

"One  of  the  most  remarkable  and  stirring  of  recent  books.  It  is 
really  the  story  of  a  great  crisis  in  the  life  of  a  great  preacher.  Mr. 
Dawson's  experience  in  his  own  church  has  justified  his  faith,  and  his 
book  is  a  most  stimulating  treatise  on  horailetics  and  pastoral  theol- 
ogy. It  is  epoch-making  in  character  " — The  Watchman, 

Torrey  and  Alexander    %^£L™i 

A  record  and  study  of  the  work  and  personality  of  the  Evangelists 
DR.  R.  A.  TORREY,  D.  D.,  and  CHARLES  M.  ALEXANDER. 
Illustrated,  12010,  Cloth,  net  $1.00.  GEORGE  T.  B.  DAVIS 

The  multitudes  who  have  followed  the  marvellous  progress  of  the 
religious  awakening  in  Australasia,  India,  and  Great  Britain,  accom- 
panying the  efforts  of  these  evangelists  will  eagerly  welcome  this 
glimpse  from  the  inside  of  their  career,  personality  and  work.  Mr. 
Davis  has  been  associated  in  a  confidential  capacity  with  the  work 
of  the  two  evangelists,  and  writes  with  keen  appreciation  of  the 
interesting  facts  in  stirring  language. 

Real  Salvation  and  Whole- Hearted  Ser- 
vice   A  second  volume  of  Revival  Addresses. 
iamo.  Cloth,  netfi.oo.  R.  A.  TORREY 

The  multitudes  led  to  decision  in  connection  with  the  preaching 
of  these  sermons,  gives  assurance  that  their  influence  will  be  extended 
far  beyond  the  reach  of  the  speaker's  voice.  Positive  conviction  and 
a  loving  plea  as  from  a  God-sent  messenger,  are  the  marked  features 
of  this  new  volume. 

Talks  tO  Men    About  the  Bible  and  the  Christ  of  the  Bible. 
i2mo,  Cloth,  net  750.  R.  A.  TORREY 

"The  directness,  simplicity,  with  wide  scholarship  and  literary 
charm  of  these  talks,  and  unhesitating  claim  for  the  highest  and 
fullest  inspiration,  inerrancy  and  authority  for  the  Bible,  make  them 
trumpet  calls  to  faith." — N.  Y.  Obstrvtr. 

The  Passion  for  Souls 

i6mo,  Cloth,  netsoc.  J.  H.  JOWETT 

Seven  sermons  on  tenderness,  watchfulness,  companionship,  rest 

and  vision  of  the  apostle  Paul's  passion  for  human  souls.     This  little 

volume  shows  his  keen,  reverent  insight  at  its  best  and  is  made  rich 

with  abundant  and  well  chosen  illustrations. 

The  Worker's  Weapon    It>s  perf:ndio5$eAathority 

i6mo.  Cloth,  net  »s  cent*.  JOHN  H.  ELLIOTT 

"A  fine  presentation  of  the   unquestionable   authority  of  God's 
Word  and  pointed  and  dear  directions  and  illustrations  of  how  M 
udy  and  use  the  Bible-" 


All  AbOUt  Japan    A  Young  People's  History  of  Japan. 
i2mo:  Cloth,  net  fi.oo.  BELLE  M.  BRAIN 

A  young  people's  history  of  Japan  from  the  earliest  days  down  to 
the  present.  A  great  mass  of  information,  historical  and  otherwise,  i 
condensed  with  surprising  skill  within  the  covers  of  a  small  volume. 

With  Tommy  Tompkins  in  Korea 

Illustrated,i2mo,Cloth,net$i.25.  L.  H. UNDERWOOD, fl.D. 

A  vivid  story  of  lifein  Korea.  Native  life  is  most  graphically  and 
humorously  presented  in  connection  with  the  experiences  of  this 
American  family.  Entertainment  and  accurate  information  about 
things  Korean  are  here  admirably  blended. 

Home  Mission  Readings 

ismo.  Cloth,  net,  soc.,  Paper,  net,  250.    ALICE  M.  GUERNSEY 


11  nua  u  OI  value  in  uianiug    UUL   iii^u     pivgiAiiica.      rv    ui 

11  catch  and  hold  the  attention  better  than  a  prosy  speech. 


Indian  and  Spanish  Neighbors 

Interdenominational  Home  Mission  Study  Course. 

i2mo.  Cloth,  net  soc.,  Paper,  net  soc         JULIA  H.  JOHNSTON 

The  Third  volume  in  the  series  begun  in  Under  Our  Flag.  In- 
tended for  use  as  a  text  book  in  all  Women's  Home  Mission  Societies. 
Covers  the  needs,  and  opportunity  for  work,  among  the  Indians  and 
Spanish  speaking  people  in  our  Western  states,  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico. 

The  Burden  of  the  City   y* Edition- 

i6mo,  Cloth,  net  500. ;  paper,  net  300.  ISABELLE  HORTON 

A  study  of  Home  Mission  work  as  applied  to  our  large  cities,  by  a 
deaconess  of  wide  experience.  Especially  designed  for  use  by  Mis- 
sion Study  Classes  whether  young  or  old. 

Our  People  of  Foreign  Speech 

i6mo,  Cloth,  net  5oc.  SAMUEL  McLANAH AN 

"There  is  a  fund  of  information  contained  in  this  little  volume 
that  those  interested  in  the  religious  and  socialistic  problems  of  the  day 
will  do  well  to  avail  themselves  ol."— Presbyterian  Banner. 

At  Our  Own  DOOr    Home  Missions  in  the  South. 
Cloth,  Illustrated,  net  $1.00.     Paper,  net  330.  S.   L.  ftORRlS 

"This  book  will  be  a  power  in  the  land.  It  is  brimful  of  energy  and 
common  sense  enthusiasm.  It  is  aggressive,  interesting,  instructive." 
Sautfiwttttrn  Prttkytifta*. 


